Cadoxton Court Dovecote is a medieval structure in Cadoxton, in the

Vale of Glamorgan The Vale of Glamorgan ( cy, Bro Morgannwg ), often referred to as The Vale, is a county borough in the south-east of Wales. It borders Bridgend County Borough to the west, Cardiff to the east, Rhondda Cynon Taf to the north, and the Bristol C ...

, south Wales. Dating from the 13th century, it is the largest of the remaining medieval

dovecote A dovecote or dovecot , doocot ( Scots) or columbarium is a structure intended to house pigeons or doves. Dovecotes may be free-standing structures in a variety of shapes, or built into the end of a house or barn. They generally contain pige ...

s in the Vale and a Grade I listed building.

History and description

The dovecote was originally built in the 13th century as an ancillary building to the medieval house that stood on the site of the present Cadoxton Court.

Cadw (, a Welsh verbal noun meaning "keeping/preserving") is the historic environment service of the Welsh Government and part of the Tourism and Culture group. works to protect the historic buildings and structures, the landscapes and heritage s ...

's listing record describes it as the largest remaining medieval dovecote in the Vale of Glamorgan. The

Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales (RCAHMW; cy, Comisiwn Brenhinol Henebion Cymru; ), established in 1908, is a Welsh Government sponsored body concerned with some aspects of the archaeological, architectura ...

considers it a post-medieval structure, ascribing a construction date in the 15th century. The dovecote supported a medieval farmstead, based on the site of a

manor house A manor house was historically the main residence of the lord of the manor. The house formed the administrative centre of a manor in the European feudal system; within its great hall were held the lord's manorial courts, communal meals w ...

which was demolished in the 18th century, and replaced in the 19th by the present Cadoxton Court. The dovecote has been subject to later restoration. The dovecote is circular in design, built in stone, and stands 8M high. The walls are over a metre thick. The structure originally housed 700 nesting boxes, giving capacity for 1,400 pigeons. The dovecote is a Grade I listed structure. Cadoxton Court has its own Grade II listing.

References

Sources

* {{Vale of Glamorgan Grade I listed buildings in the Vale of Glamorgan Buildings and structures in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan