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Bee-boles / Charter-boles
- niches, sometimes quite ornate with arched
or triangular tops, in garden walls dating from 15th to 17th centuries designed
to house delicate straw bee hives during winter. Nowadays, they are frequently used for housing
features such as lead figures.
Not to be confused with charter-boles which
denote a change of ownership. (Boley-Hole (Scottish) presumably derives, a place to hide something
for safe keeping).