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Dove house Close or Dovecote Close as it is currently known is a 17th century grade II listed building located at the west end of the village of Stanwick in North Northamptonshire.

Early History
The house, previously known as Ivy Cottage, Stanwick Cottage or The Cottage was constructed in 1616 The present building either incorporates a pre-1616 building, or the 1616 new-build was substantially extended during the C17 to form the present H-plan house. Other features of the east wing now lost, indicate a historically different building form that may relate to the east wing being the original house:


 * When viewed from the north, prior to C21 repointing, the gable end of the blank east wing displayed a blocked ground floor window with wooden lintel, with the internal void containing built-in shelves (which may well still exist).
 * Again, prior to C21 repointing, the same blank gable end also displayed another blocked window with wooden lintel, immediately to the east and above that described above, and puzzlingly at a height midway between the current first and second floors. Ths suggests the internal space was double-height, with the window perhaps lighting a now lost stairwell, or the original first floor level was much lower, and substantially raised during a phase of major reconstruction (see reference to a major fire below).

Prior to C21 repointing, the same blank gable end showed evidence of the roof ridge-line (in the form of lime/ cement) of a single-height building running to the north. This is confirmed by the early C19 Tithe map of Stanwick, which shows a long, thin building in this location extending off the main house.

Other blocked window or door voids obvious in the 1970s were:
 * A blocked window on the east-facing elevation, reopened in the 1970s by Chris Tassell.
 * A blocked low doorway on the north gable end of the west wing. This was reopened during the 1980s by Robin Tassell, but subsequently reblocked, with no external trace remaining.
 * A blocked low doorway on the west elevation, previously to the ouside, latterly into the Victorian service wing (and probably blocked at this point), forming build-in shelving on the inside.

Further evidence of the house's previous early incarnations, all visible in the 1970s but possibly now lost include:


 * Traces of very old patterened wallpaper in what was then a disused attic, suggesting staff garret acommodation. This would also strongly imply the previous existence of dormer windows, which would have radically altered the external appearance of the house. However, there was no evidence of stairs connecting the 3rd to 2nd floors.

Other significant historic evidence was revealed in the 1970s by Chris Tassell when opening up the large inglenook fireplace in the east wing: The original massive timber lintel was found to be almost completely burned through at the centre, indicating there had been a very substantial fire at some point. It is hard to imagine how this fire would not have lead to substantial damage to part of, if no the entire east wing/original house, and it is possible the subsequent damage directly lead to the rebuilding and extension of the house to the west.

17th and 18th century alterations
=Victorian service wing - now lost=

This was constructed on the west elevation of the C17 H-plan house, and was of single storey construction in ashlar limestone, with red brick detailing around openings under a slate roof (construction details identical to the newly-built Hall farm to the immediate west, and probably constructed by the same owner at the same time).

Service wing contained:
 * A hall running north south to doors to the outside immediately west of the orginal building, with Belfast sink and running water supply at south end, seperated by internal door.
 * A larder, with external walls lined with slate-slab shelving supported by brick uprights, and wooden shelving. Window to the west.
 * A substantial laundry, including large fireplace and brick-build chimney, and a small louvred wooden tower roof vent
 * Cellar under the above - extant.
 * A coal/firewood store, with wooden shuttered opening to the west & door to east
 * A toilet for staff use

Occupants
Known owners or tenants of the house include:


 * 1820s: George Gascoyen senr. purchased Ivy Cottage and the adjacent Stanwick Hall]] and moved from Little Addington to Stanwick. Following the Enclosure Acts, George Gascoyen senr. became one of the five major landowners in Stanwick.  After his death in 1841, the estate was divided between his two sons Green and George Goodhall Gascoyen, and Stanwick Hall was eventually sold, but with Ivy cottage remaining in Geroge G Gascoyen's possession until 1878, when the entire estate, including his farming business centred on the adjacent Hall Farm, was liqudised


 * 1841 -1851: Green and Mary Gascoyen
 * 1861-1871: George G (farmer), and Ellen Gascoyen
 * 1879: RC Alston esq.
 * 1880: Thomas Arthur Somes (farmer, Hall farm)new owner of both Ivy Cottage and Stanwick Hall
 * 1881: Frank (retired wine merchant) and Matilda Wright
 * 1883: James Somes (farmer, Hall farm)
 * 1891: Frances (Inland Revenue Inspector) and Annie Murphy
 * 1901: Thomas (farmer, Hall farm) and Elizabeth Blackwell, with William (farmer) and Sarah Blackwell in Stanwick Hall
 * 1923-1948: Walter George Denton (farmer, Hall farm)
 * 1950s-mid 1970s: Edward and Eva Tassell and family
 * Mid 1970s-1982: Christopher and Margaret Tassell and family
 * 1982 - ?; Robin and Janice Tassell and family