Willington Dovecote and Stables

Willington Dovecote is one of the largest and best-preserved 16th-century dovecotes in the country, a stone survivor of the extravagant manorial complex that John Gostwick built beside Willington church east of Bedford on the proceeds of his role in the dissolution of the monasteries; the stables next door, almost 500 years old, are another of the four Tudor buildings he left, and the pair hosted a visit by Henry VIII in the 1540s. Inside, 1,500 nesting boxes line the dovecote walls, kept clear of pigeons so that barn owls and kestrels can use the building. The car park and grounds are open at all times, but the buildings open only on a few afternoons a year, run jointly with St Lawrence's church next door, which lays on teas, toilets and an organ recital. Reviewers say the volunteers are welcoming and knowledgeable, like the horseshoe collection in the stables, and combine a visit with a picnic and a walk by the river. Tips from visitors: check the open days before travelling, and mind the uneven dovecote floor and the gaps between the floorboards up the steep stable staircase.