![Dove-Cote in Mzkeret Batya 1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a8/Dove-Cote_in_Mzkeret_Batya_1.jpg)
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 pigeonholes for the birds to nest. Pigeons and doves were an important food source historically in the Middle East and Europe and were kept for their eggs and dung.
History and geography
![PSM V88 D069 Motorized dovecote for homing pigeons](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/16/PSM_V88_D069_Motorized_dovecote_for_homing_pigeons.png)
The oldest dovecotes are thought to have been the fortress-like dovecotes of
Upper Egypt
Upper Egypt ( ar, صعيد مصر ', shortened to , , locally: ; ) is the southern portion of Egypt and is composed of the lands on both sides of the Nile that extend upriver from Lower Egypt in the north to Nubia in the south.
In ancient ...
, and the domed dovecotes of
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
. In these regions, the droppings were used by farmers for fertilizing. Pigeon droppings were also used for leather tanning and making gunpowder.
In some cultures, particularly
Medieval
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the Post-classical, post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with t ...
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
, the possession of a dovecote was a symbol of status and power and was consequently regulated by law. Only nobles had this special privilege, known as ''droit de colombier''.
Many ancient
manors in France and the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
have a dovecote still standing (or in ruins) in a section of the manorial enclosure, or in nearby fields. Examples include
Château de Kerjean
Château de Kerjean is a 16th-century fortified chateau (manor house) located close to the town of Saint-Vougay, in the Finistère department of Brittany, France.
It was originally built for members of the Barbier family (later titled as Marquis ...
in Brittany, France,
Houchin
Houchin () is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Hauts-de-France region of France.
Geography
A farming village, situated some south of Béthune near the junction of the D72 and the D171 roads.
Population
Places of interest
* ...
, France,
Bodysgallen Hall
Bodysgallen Hall is a manor house in Conwy county borough, north Wales, near the village of Llanrhos. Since 2008 the house has been owned by The National Trust. It is a Grade I listed building, currently used as a hotel. This listed historical b ...
in
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...
, and
Muchalls Castle
Muchalls Castle stands overlooking the North Sea in the countryside of Kincardine and Mearns, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The lower course is a well-preserved Romanesque, double-groined 13th-century tower house structure, built by the Frasers of ...
and
Newark Castle in
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
.
Columbaria in ancient Rome
![MazorColumbarium](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3e/MazorColumbarium.jpg)
The presence of dovecotes is not documented in France before the Roman invasion of Gaul by Caesar. The pigeon farm was then a passion in Rome: The Roman-style, generally round, ''columbarium'' had its interior covered with a white coating of marble powder.
Varro
Marcus Terentius Varro (; 116–27 BC) was a Roman polymath and a prolific author. He is regarded as ancient Rome's greatest scholar, and was described by Petrarch as "the third great light of Rome" (after Vergil and Cicero). He is sometimes calle ...
,
Columella
Lucius Junius Moderatus Columella (; Arabic: , 4 – ) was a prominent writer on agriculture in the Roman Empire.
His ' in twelve volumes has been completely preserved and forms an important source on Roman agriculture, together with the wo ...
, and
Pliny
Pliny may refer to:
People
* Pliny the Elder (23–79 CE), ancient Roman nobleman, scientist, historian, and author of ''Naturalis Historia'' (''Pliny's Natural History'')
* Pliny the Younger (died 113), ancient Roman statesman, orator, w ...
, all wrote about pigeon farming and dovecote construction.
In the city of
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
in the time of the Republic and the Empire the internal design of the banks of pigeonholes was adapted for the purpose of disposing of cremated ashes after death: These
columbaria
A columbarium (; pl. columbaria) is a structure for the reverential and usually public storage of funerary urns, holding cremated remains of the deceased.
The term can also mean the nesting boxes of pigeons. The term comes from the Latin "'' colu ...
were generally constructed underground.
France
The French word for dovecote is ''pigeonnier'' or
''colombier''. In some French provinces, especially
Normandy
Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...
, the dovecotes were built of wood in a very stylized way. Stone was the other popular building material for these old dovecotes. These stone structures were usually built in circular, square and occasionally octagonal form. Some of the medieval French abbeys had very large stone dovecotes on their grounds.
In
Brittany
Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo language, Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, Historical region, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known ...
, the dovecote was sometimes built directly into the upper walls of the farmhouse or
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 with ...
. In rare cases, it was built into the upper gallery of the lookout tower (for example at the Toul-an-Gollet manor in Plesidy, Brittany). Dovecotes of this type are called ''tour-fuie'' in French.
Even some of the larger ''château-forts'', such as the
Château de Suscinio
The Château de Suscinio or de Susinio is a Breton castle, built in the late Middle Ages, to be the residence of the Dukes of Brittany. It is located in the commune of Sarzeau in the département of Morbihan, near the coast of the Atlantic ocean. ...
in Morbihan, still have a complete dovecote standing on the grounds, outside the moat and walls of the castle.
Colombiers and pigeonniers in France
![Manoir d'ango 03](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ec/Manoir_d%27ango_03.jpg)
In France, it was called a ''colombier'', ''fuie'' or ''pigeonnier''. With its extensive cultivation of grain, the favourite food of pigeons, France had 42,000 pigeonniers by the 17th Century, especially in
Normandy
Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...
and the
Midi
MIDI (; Musical Instrument Digital Interface) is a technical standard that describes a communications protocol, digital interface, and electrical connectors that connect a wide variety of electronic musical instruments, computers, and re ...
.
The dovecote interior, the space granted to the pigeons, is divided into a number of ''boulins'' (pigeon holes). Each boulin is the lodging of a pair of pigeons. These boulins can be in rock, brick or cob (adobe) and installed at the time of the construction of the dovecote or be in pottery (jars lying sideways, flat tiles, etc.), in braided wicker in the form of a basket or of a nest. It is the number of ''boulins'' that indicates the capacity of the dovecote. The ones at the chateau d'Aulnay in
Aulnay-sous-Bois
Aulnay-sous-Bois () is a commune in the Seine-Saint-Denis department in the Île-de-France region in the north-eastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the Kilometre zero.
The inhabitants of the commune are known as ''Aulnaysiens'' o ...
and the one at Château de Panloy in
Port-d'Envaux are among the largest in France.
In the Middle Ages, particularly in France, the possession of a ''colombier à pied'' (dovecote on the ground accessible by foot), constructed separately from the ''corps de logis'' of the
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 with ...
(having boulins from the top down), was a privilege of the
seigneurial lord. He was granted permission by his
overlord
An overlord in the English feudal system was a lord of a manor who had subinfeudated a particular manor, estate or fee, to a tenant. The tenant thenceforth owed to the overlord one of a variety of services, usually military service or serje ...
to build a dovecote or two on his estate lands. For the other constructions, the dovecote rights (''droit de colombier'') varied according to the provinces.
They had to be in proportion to the importance of the property, placed in a floor above a henhouse, a kennel, a bread oven, even a wine cellar. Generally, the aviaries were integrated into a stable, a barn or a shed, and were permitted to use no more than of arable land.
Middle East
Dotted with wooden pegs and hundreds of holes, the towers provided shelter and breeding areas for the birds to nest and raise their young in a mostly harsh desert environment. In Saudi Arabia, fourteen towers were spotted in 2020 and were the oldest seen in the Middle Eastern country. They have often been spotted in Iran, Egypt, and Qatar, where they have a lengthy history dating back to the 13th century. Dovecotes are also prevalent in ancient Iran and Anatolia. Pigeons were found in human settlements in Egypt and the Middle East since the dawn of agriculture, probably attracted to seeds people planted for their crops.
Isfahan's ancient dovecotes
In the 17th century, a European traveler counted up to 3000 dovecotes in the Isfahan area of Persia (Hadizadeh, 2006, 51–4). Today, over 300 historic dovecotes have been identified in Isfahan Province and a total of 65 have been registered on the National Heritage List (Rafiei, 1974, 118–24). Dovecotes were constructed to produce large quantities of high-quality organic fertilizer for Isfahan's rich market gardens. The largest dovecotes could house 14,000 birds, and were decorated in distinctive red bands so as to be easily recognizable to the pigeons.
Cappadocia's ancient dovecotes
The dove cotes in Cappadocia are mostly designed like rooms which are set up by carving the rocks. The oldest examples of these cotes in the region were built in the 18th Century but they are few. Most of the cotes in the region were built in the 19th and early 20th century (øúçen, 2008). It is significantly evident that the cotes were constructed near water sources, on a place, above the valley and their entrance, called as mouth of the cotes were mostly built in the east or south direction of valleys. By this way of construction, it was proposed to protect the cotes from cold and get sunlight inside. The cotes were generally constructed by carving the rocks as a room.
Greece
![PigeonHouse Lychnaftia Tinos](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/89/PigeonHouse_Lychnaftia_Tinos.jpg)
Dovecotes in
Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...
are known as Περιστεριώνες, ''Peristeriones'' (plural). Such structures are very popular in the
Cycladic islands
The Cyclades (; el, Κυκλάδες, ) are an island group in the Aegean Sea, southeast of mainland Greece and a former administrative prefecture of Greece. They are one of the island groups which constitute the Aegean archipelago. The name ...
and in particular
Tinos
Tinos ( el, Τήνος ) is a Greek island situated in the Aegean Sea. It is located in the Cyclades archipelago. The closest islands are Andros, Delos, and Mykonos. It has a land area of and a 2011 census population of 8,636 inhabitants.
Tinos ...
, which has 1300 dovecotes. The systematic breeding of doves and pigeons as sources of meat and fertilizer was introduced by the
Venetians in the 15th century. Dovecotes are built in slopes protected by the prevailing north wind and oriented so that their facade is towards an open space.
Ireland
![Dovecote (Columbarium), Adare, Co](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/15/Dovecote_%28Columbarium%29%2C_Adare%2C_Co._Limerick%2C_Ireland.jpg)
Stone dovecotes were built in Ireland from the
Norman period
The Norman Conquest (or the Conquest) was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Norman, Breton, Flemish, and French troops, all led by the Duke of Normandy, later styled William the Conque ...
onward, to supply meat to monastic kitchens and to
large country houses. A traditional dovecote was a multistorey building with inner walls lined with alcoves or ledges to mimic a cave. They survive in many parts of Ireland, with notable examples at
Ballybeg Priory
Ballybeg Priory (Irish: ), also known as Ballybeg Abbey, the Abbey of St Thomas, and St Thomas's Priory, is a 13th-century priory of the Augustinian order near the town of Buttevant, County Cork, Ireland. It is home to one of the best preserved ...
,
Oughterard
Oughterard () is a small town on the banks of the Owenriff River close to the western shore of Lough Corrib in Connemara, County Galway, Ireland. The population of the town in 2016 was 1,318. It is located about northwest of Galway on the N5 ...
,
Cahir
Cahir (; ) is a town in County Tipperary in Ireland. It is also a civil parish in the barony of Iffa and Offa West.
Location and access
For much of the twentieth century, Cahir stood at an intersection of two busy national roadways: the Dublin ...
,
Woodstock Estate
Woodstock House and Estate is a derelict Georgian house and estate located near Inistioge, County Kilkenny, Ireland, on the west bank of the River Nore. The Ladies of Llangollen story began here and Mary Tighe died here. The house was destro ...
, Mosstown,
Adare. Three Irish
Cistercian
The Cistercians, () officially the Order of Cistercians ( la, (Sacer) Ordo Cisterciensis, abbreviated as OCist or SOCist), are a Catholic religious order of monks and nuns that branched off from the Benedictines and follow the Rule of Saint ...
houses held dovecotes:
St. Mary's Abbey, Glencairn,
Mellifont Abbey
Mellifont Abbey ( ga, An Mhainistir Mhór, literally 'the Big Monastery'), was a Cistercian abbey located close to Drogheda in County Louth, Ireland. It was the first abbey of the order to be built in Ireland. In 1152, it hosted the Synod of Ke ...
and
Kilcooley Abbey
Kilcooley Abbey is a Cistercian abbey near the village of Gortnahoe in County Tipperary, Ireland. The abbey is located within the grounds of the Kilcooley Estate. This abbey dates from 1182 when Donal Mor O’Brien granted lands to the Cisterc ...
.
Italy
Dovecotes were included in several of the villa designs of
Andrea Palladio
Andrea Palladio ( ; ; 30 November 1508 – 19 August 1580) was an Italian Renaissance architect active in the Venetian Republic. Palladio, influenced by Roman and Greek architecture, primarily Vitruvius, is widely considered to be one of th ...
. As an integral part of the
World Heritage Site
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
"Vicenza and the
Palladian Villas of the Veneto", dovecotes such as those at
Villa Barbaro
Villa Barbaro, also known as the Villa di Maser, is a large villa at Maser in the Veneto region of northern Italy. It was designed and built by the Italian Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio, with frescos by Paolo Veronese and sculptures by Al ...
enjoy a high level of protection.
Netherlands and Belgium
![Pigeonhouse](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f6/Pigeonhouse.JPG)
Dovecotes in
Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...
are mostly associated with
pigeon racing
Pigeon racing is the sport of releasing specially trained homing pigeons, which then return to their homes over a carefully measured distance. The time it takes the animal to cover the specified distance is measured and the bird's rate of travel ...
. They have special features, such as trap doors that allow pigeons to fly in, but not out. The
Flemish
Flemish (''Vlaams'') is a Low Franconian dialect cluster of the Dutch language. It is sometimes referred to as Flemish Dutch (), Belgian Dutch ( ), or Southern Dutch (). Flemish is native to Flanders, a historical region in northern Belgium; ...
word for dovecote is "duivenkot". The
Dutch
Dutch commonly refers to:
* Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands
* Dutch people ()
* Dutch language ()
Dutch may also refer to:
Places
* Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States
* Pennsylvania Dutch Country
People E ...
word for dovecote is "duiventoren", or "duiventil" for a smaller dovecot.
Spain
Dovecotes in
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
are known as a Palomar or Palomares (plural). These structures are very popular in the Tierra de Campos region and also has a scale model of this type of building at a Theme Park located in the Mudéjar de Olmedo. Other good examples are located at Museums located in Castroverde de Campos, (Zamora Province), Villafáfila, (Zamora Province), Santoyo, (Palencia Province) and the famous "Palomar de la Huerta Noble" in the municipality of Isla Cristina (Huelva Province) which was built in the 18th century to house 36,000 pigeons.
Transylvania
The
Szekely people of
Transylvania
Transylvania ( ro, Ardeal or ; hu, Erdély; german: Siebenbürgen) is a historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and south its natural border is the Carpathian Mountains, and to the west the Ap ...
incorporate a dovecote into the design of their famous gates. These intricately carved wooden structures feature a large arch with a slatted door, which is meant to admit drivers of carriages and wagons (although today the visitors are probably driving cars and trucks), and a smaller arch with a similar door for pedestrians. Across the top of the gate is a dovecote with 6-12 or more pigeonholes and a roof of wooden shingles or tiles.
England and Wales
The Romans may have introduced dovecotes or ''columbaria'' to Britain since pigeon holes have been found in Roman ruins at
Caerwent
Caerwent ( cy, Caer-went) is a village and community in Monmouthshire, Wales. It is located about five miles west of Chepstow and 11 miles east of Newport. It was founded by the Romans as the market town of ''Venta Silurum'', an important settle ...
. However, it is believed that doves were not commonly kept there until after the Norman invasion. The earliest known examples of dove-keeping occur in Norman castles of the 12th century (for example, at Rochester Castle, Kent, where nest-holes can be seen in the keep), and documentary references also begin in the 12th century. The earliest surviving, definitely dated free-standing dovecote in England was built in 1326 at Garway in Herefordshire. The Welsh name ''colomendy'' has itself become a place name (similarly in Cornwall:colomen & ty = dove house). One medieval dovecote still remains standing on the site of a hall at Potters Marston in
Leicestershire
Leicestershire ( ; postal abbreviation Leics.) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East Midlands, England. The county borders Nottinghamshire to the north, Lincolnshire to the north-east, Rutland to the east, Northamptonshire t ...
, a hamlet near to the village of
Stoney Stanton
Stoney Stanton is a large village in the Blaby district of Leicestershire, England with a population of over 3,454 in 2001, increasing to 3,793 at the 2011 census. It constitutes a civil parish.
The village lies some five miles east of Hinck ...
.
Scotland
Early purpose-built doocots in Scotland are often of a "beehive" shape, circular in plan and tapering up to a domed roof with a circular opening at the top. These are also found in the North of England and are sometimes referred to as "tun-bellied". In the late 16th century, they were superseded by the "
lectern
A lectern is a reading desk with a slanted top, on which documents or books are placed as support for reading aloud, as in a scripture reading, lecture, or sermon. A lectern is usually attached to a stand or affixed to some other form of support. ...
" type, rectangular with a
mono-pitched roof
A shed roof, also known variously as a pent roof, lean-to roof, outshot, catslide, skillion roof (in Australia and New Zealand), and, rarely, a mono-pitched roof,Cowan, Henry J., and Peter R. Smith. ''Dictionary of Architectural and Building Te ...
sloping fairly steeply in a suitable direction.
Phantassie Doocot
Phantassie is an agricultural hamlet near East Linton, East Lothian, Scotland. It is close to the River Tyne, Preston Mill, and Prestonkirk Parish Church.
The Phantassie Farm and Workshop, presently owned by Hamilton Farmers, is the birthpl ...
is an unusual example of the beehive type topped with a mono-pitched roof, and
Finavon Doocot of the lectern type is the largest doocot in Scotland, with 2,400 nesting boxes. Doocots were built well into the 18th century in increasingly decorative forms, then the need for them died out though some continued to be incorporated into farm buildings as ornamental features. However, the 20th century saw a revival of doocot construction by
pigeon fanciers, and dramatic towers clad in black or green painted corrugated iron can still be found on wasteland near housing estates in
Glasgow
Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...
and
Edinburgh
Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...
.
Image:Corstorphine Castle doocot, Edinburgh.JPG, A castle doocot at Corstorphine, Edinburgh (16thC)
Image:Ross doocot, Linlithgow.JPG, Bee-hive shaped doocot, Linlithgow, Scotland
Image:Newark Castle doocot.jpg, At Newark Castle, Port Glasgow, a corner tower of the outer defensive wall was converted to a doocot in 1597 when the wall was demolished.
File:Auchmacoy Dovecot 05.jpg, Doocot at Auchmacoy, Crawhead, Aberdeenshire
Aberdeenshire ( sco, Aiberdeenshire; gd, Siorrachd Obar Dheathain) is one of the 32 Subdivisions of Scotland#council areas of Scotland, council areas of Scotland.
It takes its name from the County of Aberdeen which has substantially differe ...
, built 1638.
Image:Newark Castle doocot int.jpg, Looking up inside the doocot at Newark Castle
Image:Eglintondoocot.JPG,
Image:Doocotstables.JPG,
Image:Doocotnests.JPG,
Image:Newbigging doocot, near Aberdour in Fife.JPG, Ruined doocot at Newbigging near Aberdour, Scotland, revealing the nesting boxes
Image:Dovecote St Andrews.jpg, Bogward Doocot, St Andrews
St Andrews ( la, S. Andrea(s); sco, Saunt Aundraes; gd, Cill Rìmhinn) is a town on the east coast of Fife in Scotland, southeast of Dundee and northeast of Edinburgh. St Andrews had a recorded population of 16,800 , making it Fife's fou ...
, restored by the St Andrews Preservation Trust
Image:Milton mcdowall mills.jpg, Mills at Milton of Campsie
Milton may refer to:
Names
* Milton (surname), a surname (and list of people with that surname)
** John Milton (1608–1674), English poet
* Milton (given name)
** Milton Friedman (1912–2006), Nobel laureate in Economics, author of '' Free ...
with a tall doocot in the background.[Stoddart, John (1800), ''Remarks on local Scenery and Manners in Scotland.'' London: William Miller;facing p. 206]
File:Phantassie doocot (16thC), East Lothian.JPG, 16th-century doocot at Phantassie
Phantassie is an agricultural hamlet near East Linton, East Lothian, Scotland. It is close to the River Tyne, Preston Mill, and Prestonkirk Parish Church.
The Phantassie Farm and Workshop, presently owned by Hamilton Farmers, is the birthpla ...
, East Lothian
Image:Lady Kitty's Doocot, Haddington, East Lothian.JPG, Lady Kitty's Doocot at Haddington, Scotland, incorporated into a garden wall
Image:Sheriffhall Doocot - geograph.org.uk - 444397.jpg, Doocot converted from the stair tower of a demolished house at Sheriffhall near Dalkeith, Scotland
Image:Rooftop doocots in the West Bow, Edinburgh.jpg, Two house doocots in the West Bow, Edinburgh, Scotland
Image:East Morningside House doocot, Edinburgh, Scotland.JPG, Doocot c. 1730 in the grounds of a private house, Edinburgh, Scotland
Image:Glasgow doocot Firrhill 1.jpg, Urban doocot in Glasgow
Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...
, Scotland
Image:Glasgow doocot Partick 1.jpg, Urban doocot in Glasgow, Scotland
Image:Doocot_at_Elcho_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1280869.jpg, 16th century doocot at Elcho Castle
Elcho Castle () is located close to the south bank of the River Tay approximately four miles south-east of Perth, Scotland, in the region of Perth and Kinross. It was maintained by Clan Wemyss from its construction around 1560 until it was p ...
, Scotland
North America
![Shirley Plantation dovecote](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ad/Shirley_Plantation_dovecote.jpg)
In the U.S., an alternative English name for dovecotes is ''pigeonaire'' (from French). This word is more common than "dovecote" in Louisiana and other areas with a heavy Francophonic heritage.
Québec City
Quebec City ( or ; french: Ville de Québec), officially Québec (), is the capital city of the Canadian province of Quebec. As of July 2021, the city had a population of 549,459, and the metropolitan area had a population of 839,311. It is the ...
, Canada, has a pigeonnier that stands in a square in Old Québec; the Pigeonnier is also the name of the square itself and is where street artists present their shows.
A notable frame dovecote is located at
Bowman's Folly
Bowman's Folly, is a historic home located near Accomac, Accomack County, Virginia. Captain Edmund Bowman patented the land in 1664, the current structure was built about 1815 by General John Cropper Jr.,
who had been born in the house in 175 ...
, added to the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
in 1974.
[ and ]
Architecture
Functional
Their location is chosen away from large trees that can house raptors and shielded from prevailing winds and their construction obeys a few safety rules: tight access doors and smooth walls with a protruding band of stones (or other smooth surface) to prohibit the entry of climbing predators (martens, weasels...). The exterior façade was, if necessary, only evenly coated by a horizontal band, in order to prevent their ascent.
The dovecote materials can be very varied and shape and dimension extremely diverse:
;square dovecote with quadruple vaulting: built before the fifteenth-century (Roquetaillade Castle, Bordeaux) or Saint-Trojan near Cognac
;cylindrical tower: fourteenth century to the sixteenth century, and common until the present in parts of Spain, it is covered with curved tiles, flat tiles, stone ''lauzes'' roofing and occasionally with a dome of bricks. A window or skylight is the only opening.
;dovecote on stone or wooden pillars: cylindrical, hexagonal or square;
;hexagonal dovecote: like the dovecotes of the Royal Mail at Sauzé-Vaussais;
;square dovecote with flat roof tiles: seventeenth century and a slate roof in the eighteenth century;
;lean-to structure: propped against the sides of buildings.
Inside, a dovecote could be virtually empty (''boulins'' being located in the walls from bottom to top), the interior reduced to only housing a rotating ladder, or "potence", that facilitated maintenance and the collection of eggs and
squab
In culinary terminology, squab is an immature domestic pigeon, typically under four weeks old, or its meat. The meat is widely described as tastes like chicken, tasting like dark chicken. The term is probably of Scandinavian origin; the Swedish w ...
s.
Decorative
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of intersecting roof pitches. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system used, which reflects climate, material availability, and aesth ...
and rooftop dovecotes are associated with
storybook houses
Storybook architecture is a style popularized in the 1920s in England and the United States. Houses built in this style may be referred to as storybook houses.
Description
The storybook style is a nod toward Hollywood design technically cal ...
with whimsical design elements.
Gallery
File:Peper Harow Dovecot DSC 1606.jpg, Peper Harow Dovecote
File:Manorbier Dovecote DSC 6947.jpg, Manorbier Dovecote
File:Dovecote, Tarn-et-Garonne, France.JPG, A dovecote in the Tarn-et-Garonne
Tarn-et-Garonne (; oc, Tarn e Garona ) is a department in the Occitania region in Southern France. It is traversed by the rivers Tarn and Garonne, from which it takes its name. The area was originally part of the former provinces of Quercy and ...
department of France, near Lauzerte
Lauzerte (; Languedocien: ''Lausèrta'') is a commune in the Tarn-et-Garonne department in the Occitanie region in southern France.
Etymology of the name: Two interpretations include the possible Latin root of “Villaserta” and more likely, ...
File:Les Très Riches Heures du duc de Berry février.jpg, The month of February in the Limburg Brothers' Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry
The Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry (; en, The Very Rich Hours of the Duke of Berry) or Très Riches Heures, is the most famous and possibly the best surviving example of manuscript illumination in the late phase of the International Goth ...
, a painting dated 1416, showing a dovecote
File:The Dovecote.jpg,
File:Abbaye Saint-Vincent (Le Mans) Facade Sud.jpg, Dovecote at the Abbaye Saint-Vincent in Le Mans, France
Le Mans (, ) is a city in northwestern France on the Sarthe River where it meets the Huisne. Traditionally the capital of the province of Maine, it is now the capital of the Sarthe department and the seat of the Roman Catholic diocese of Le Man ...
File:Dovecote HHPP purfleet.JPG, Dovecote at High House Purfleet
High House is the collective name for a group of historic buildings in Purfleet, Thurrock, Essex, which was used as a farm for hundreds of years, with a Grade II listed house and barn, but with the addition of one of the best dovecotes (dove hous ...
, Essex
File:Colombier at Hamptonne in Jersey.jpg, A ''colombier'' (dovecote) in Jersey
Jersey ( , ; nrf, Jèrri, label=Jèrriais ), officially the Bailiwick of Jersey (french: Bailliage de Jersey, links=no; Jèrriais: ), is an island country and self-governing Crown Dependencies, Crown Dependency near the coast of north-west F ...
, Channel Islands
The Channel Islands ( nrf, Îles d'la Manche; french: îles Anglo-Normandes or ''îles de la Manche'') are an archipelago in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They include two Crown Dependencies: the Bailiwick of Jersey, ...
File:Pigeontower.jpg, The Pigeon Tower at Rivington
Rivington is a village and civil parish of the Borough of Chorley, Lancashire, England, occupying . It is about southeast of Chorley and about northwest of Bolton. Rivington is a rural area consisting primarily of agricultural grazing land, ...
on the West Pennine Moors
The West Pennine Moors is an area of the Pennines covering approximately of moorland and Reservoir (water), reservoirs in Lancashire and Greater Manchester, England. It is a Site of Special Scientific Interest.
The West Pennine Moors are separat ...
, England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
File:Dove house.jpg, Small dovecote at the Lost Gardens of Heligan
The Lost Gardens of Heligan ( kw, Lowarth Helygen, meaning "willow tree garden") are located near Mevagissey in Cornwall, England and are considered to be amongst the most popular in the UK. The gardens are typical of the 19th century Ga ...
File:Dovecote hudson valley.jpg, Hudson Valley dovecote in Saugerties, New York
File:Palomar - Tierra de Campos.jpg, ''Palomar'' (dovecote) in Tierra de Campos
Tierra de Campos ("Land of Fields") is a large historical and natural region or greater comarca that straddles the provinces of León, Zamora, Valladolid and Palencia, in Castile and León, Spain. It is a vast, desolate plain with practically ...
, Spain
File:Palomares 7.jpg, Nesting holes on inside walls of an old dovecote, Palazuelo de Vedija (Tierra de Campos), Spain
File:Kaftar-khooneh.jpg, A ''Kaftar khooneh'' (lit. pigeon house) in Isfahan
Isfahan ( fa, اصفهان, Esfahân ), from its Achaemenid empire, ancient designation ''Aspadana'' and, later, ''Spahan'' in Sassanian Empire, middle Persian, rendered in English as ''Ispahan'', is a major city in the Greater Isfahan Regio ...
, Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
.
File:Uncle Sam Plantation 09 cropped.jpg, Hexagonal pigeonnier with a pointed roof at Uncle Sam Plantation near Convent
A convent is a community of monks, nuns, religious brothers or, sisters or priests. Alternatively, ''convent'' means the building used by the community. The word is particularly used in the Catholic Church, Lutheran churches, and the Anglican ...
, Louisiana
File:Old-dovecot.jpg, A (derelict) dovecot in Zemst
Zemst () is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Flemish Brabant. The municipality comprises the villages of Elewijt, Eppegem, Hofstade, Weerde, Zemst-Laar, Zemst-Bos and Zemst proper. On January 1, 2006, Zemst had a total populatio ...
, Belgium
File:Dovecote by Oscar Niemeyer in Brasília.jpg, Modern dovecote designed by Oscar Niemeyer
Oscar Ribeiro de Almeida Niemeyer Soares Filho (15 December 1907 – 5 December 2012), known as Oscar Niemeyer (), was a Brazilian architect considered to be one of the key figures in the development of modern architecture. Niemeyer was ...
and located on the Praça dos Três Poderes
Praça dos Três Poderes (; ''Three Powers Plaza'') is a plaza in Brasília, the Capital (political), capital of Brazil. The name is derived from the presence of the three governmental powers around the plaza: the Executive (government), Executive, ...
(Three Powers Plaza) in Brasília
Brasília (; ) is the federal capital of Brazil and seat of government of the Federal District. The city is located at the top of the Brazilian highlands in the country's Central-West region. It was founded by President Juscelino Kubitsche ...
, Brazil
File:Pigeon house (Neduntheevu).JPG, Pigeon house in Neduntheevu
Neduntheevu or Nedunthivu ( ta, நெடுந்தீவு, translit=Neṭuntīvu; ) (also known by its Dutch name Delft) is an island in the Palk Strait, northern Sri Lanka. This island is named as Delft in the Admiralty Chart unlike the oth ...
, used by colonial powers (Portuguese, Dutch or British during their rule in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
)
File:Shirley Plantation dovecote interior.jpg, Shirley Plantation
Shirley Plantation is an estate located on the north bank of the James River in Charles City County, Virginia, USA. It is located on scenic byway State Route 5, between Richmond and Williamsburg. It is the oldest active plantation in Virginia ...
dovecote interior
File:Pigeon niches at Maresha.jpg, Columbarium (dovecote) interior wall at Maresha, Israel
File:View of columbarium at Maresha.jpg, Columbarium at Tell Maresha (''Khirbet es Sandahannah'') in Israel
See also
*
Chabutro
Chabutro, also spelled as chabutaro or chabutra, is a structure found mostly in India. They are a tower-like structure with pentagonal- or octagonal-shaped enclosures at the top. In the upper enclosure are several holes, where birds can make the ...
*
Columbarium
A columbarium (; pl. columbaria) is a structure for the reverential and usually public storage of funerary urns, holding cremated remains of the deceased.
The term can also mean the nesting boxes of pigeons. The term comes from the Latin "'' colu ...
– repository of
cinerary urns, the word originally denoted a dovecote
*
Culverhouse
Culverhouse is an English topographic surname, which originally meaning a person who tended or lived near a dovecote, derived from the Old English ''culfrehus'' ("dovecote").''Dictionary of American Family Names''"Culverhouse Family History" Oxford ...
– old English for dovecote
*
Cunninghamhead
Cunninghamhead is a hamlet on the Annick Water in the Parish of Dreghorn, North Ayrshire, Scotland. The area was part of the old Cunninghamhead estate, and once contained several watermills.
Cunninghamhead and the mills on the Annick Water
The ...
– An example of a small doocot
*
Museum of Scottish Country Life
The National Museum of Rural Life, previously known as the Museum of Scottish Country Life, is based at Wester Kittochside farm, lying between East Kilbride in South Lanarkshire and Carmunnock in Glasgow. It is run by National Museums Scotlan ...
– An example of a doocot on a cart shed
*
Pigeonhole principle
In mathematics, the pigeonhole principle states that if items are put into containers, with , then at least one container must contain more than one item. For example, if one has three gloves (and none is ambidextrous/reversible), then there mu ...
*
Pigeon keeping
Pigeon keeping or pigeon fancying is the art and science of breeding domestic pigeons. People have practiced pigeon keeping for at least 5,000 years and in almost every part of the world. In that time, humans have substantially altered the morph ...
*
Pigeon racing
Pigeon racing is the sport of releasing specially trained homing pigeons, which then return to their homes over a carefully measured distance. The time it takes the animal to cover the specified distance is measured and the bird's rate of travel ...
– More on the sport
*
Squab (food)
In culinary terminology, squab is an immature domestic pigeon, typically under four weeks old, or its meat. The meat is widely described as tastes like chicken, tasting like dark chicken. The term is probably of Scandinavian origin; the Swedish w ...
– The meat from birds kept in a dovecote
References
Further reading
*Cooke, Arthur (1920) ''A Book of Dovecotes'' London:
T. N. Foulis
T. N. Foulis was a British publisher founded in Edinburgh in 1903. During its first ten years, the firm became well known for producing "highly original, beautifully illustrated books",
*Emery, Gordon ''Curious Clwyd'' (includes a list of dovecotes in Flintshire, Denbighshire and Wrexham with many photo examples)
*Emery, Gordon (1996) ''Curious Clwyd; 2''
External links
{{Commons category, Dovecotes
The Pigeon Cote; compiled by John Verburg / Includes an annotated edition of ''A Book of Dovecotes'' and much more information on British dovecotespigeon towers near Isfahan
Commentary and video on the Eglinton DovecoteCommentary and examples of Scottish Doocots
Domestic pigeons
Buildings and structures used to confine animals