NU1433 : The Outchester Ducket
taken 4 years ago, near to Spindlestone, Northumberland, England
Known locally as 'The Ducket', the building is a 65 foot high, tapering tower standing four storeys high and was Grade II Listed in 1969. It is shown on the OS map as a windmill and may have been used as a navigation marker, although situated at some distance from the sea. Some sources consider that it was most likely built in the C18th as a pigeon dovecote, providing a source of meat, eggs and manure. 'Ducket' is clearly a corruption of dovecote.
Structural Images of the North East (SINE) alternatively considers that the evidence for the structure's use as a dovecote is weak to non-existent and describes it as the windmill tower of a wind-powered threshing mill, built c1815. If so it is one of only two such towers associated with threshing which survive in Northumberland, the other at Chollerton NY9372 : Chollerton.
With the approval of English Heritage, planning permission was obtained in 2007 to convert the tower into self-catering holiday accommodation with bathroom, bedroom, kitchen and upper viewing gallery.
The tower stands within a medieval moated site. Outchester Farm, shown on maps that pre-date the Ordnance Survey to the east of the tower, was relocated 600m to the west.
Medieval moated site and 18th century dovecote, 600m east of Outchester: Link