
The History of Dovecotes
Doves and pigeons belong to the same family; the different names are a result of language with dove derived from Nordic language and pigeon coming from French.
Pigeons were a valuable source of fresh meat and eggs, particularly during the winter months. The pigeons could have eight or ten broods a year, and the young birds were considered a delicacy. They were housed in dovecotes that also provided manure for use as fertilizer and ‘saltpetre’, which was valued in the 16th and 17th centuries as an essential ingredient for gunpowder.
The earliest dovecotes were usually sited near a manor house because the right to build one belonged to the Lord of the Manor or the Abbot of a monastery. Having a dovecote became a status symbol, although rules were relaxed in 1619 and thousands of dovecotes were built. By the 17th century there were about 26,000 in England. The early dovecotes were round, a design originating from Rome with walls up to 3 feet thick. Later, dovecotes were square or rectangular and typically built into the corner of a walled enclosure.
Inside, hundreds of nest boxes were built into the walls. There was a small entrance and the pigeons used the vents in the roof to enter and exit. A revolving wooden pole (the potence) with arms for ladders gave access to the nest boxes. The ground floor was often used for hens, storage or sometimes cattle.