The History of the Dovecote
This is a brief introduction to the history and architecture of English dovecotes. Since ancient times man has kept pigeons in captivity, breeding and rearing them for their eggs, manure and for food. Possibly the Egyptians were the first to domesticate the wild Rock Pigeon (Columbia Livia) from which all pigeon breeds are descended. Certainly, it is from them that we first learn of the ‘art’ of rearing pigeons - in particular, the farmers prized the pigeon dung which they spread liberally on their arid fields. The Chinese from an early period also kept pigeons and on a ceramic model of a farmyard, dating from 1000BC dovecotes can clearly be seen on the house roofs. The Persians utilised pigeon droppings in the manufacture of gunpowder. Indeed, pigeon dung has been used variously in many commodities from medicines to aphrodisiacs!
On the subject of the introduction of pigeons into Britain, little is known. Although pigeon rearing was practised by the Romans from a very early date as attested by many references in the ‘Classics’, notably those written by Pliny, Varro, and Columella, few columbaria (pigeon houses) were established in England and the industry does not appear to have been of any importance in Britain until the time of the crusades when returning pilgrims and knights brought back many useful notions picked up during their journeys through the lands of the Saracens.
Historically, it is to the Normans that England owes a debt for the establishment of the large architectural pigeon house or dovecote into the landscape of the countryside. France had long had a history of dovecotes, possibly inherited from its occupation by the Romans, and following the ‘Conquest’ of Britain, the Norman lords brought to our shores their culture and manorial system with its feudal rights - and foremost among the privileges which these twin dominants, lord and clergy, aggregated to themselves, was that of being the sole classes of persons to build great pigeon houses wherein the birds of these favoured few might live, board free, at the expense of industrious crop-raising tenant neighbours - a factor which contributed in France in later centuries, to the onset of the French Revolution.
Early dovecotes are massive, round and were usually associated with monastic or manorial origins. Often they were architecturally crude, with little decoration, small plain doorways, and with few openings for light and air, but as architectural styles developed, and the laws of who could own a pigeon house changed in the 17th century, their construction and purpose altered and they became more flamboyant in design. Eventually the craze of pigeon rearing attained such proportions that by the 18th century over 26,000 dovecotes were recorded in England alone! However, with changes in agricultural practises the dovecote declined in importance finally reaching its demise in the 19th century.
Today, many dovecotes survive throughout the counties of England in various stages of repair, and in some counties, societies and preservation groups have been established to help protect these interesting and often ancient buildings; the British Dovecotes Society exists to promote the preservation of dovecotes and pigeon lofts throughout the county and co-ordinate these efforts.
Images shown : exterior and interior of Barforth Dovecote, an early form known as a beehive pigeon house.