Dovecotes were farm buildings designed for rearing pigeons. In the Middle Ages only barons, abbots, and lords of manors were allowed to build dovecotes. This really annoyed the peasants, because the pigeons would eat their grain, though people of all ranks were free to drive the pigeons off their crops. The Bishop of Hereford had a dovecote on his manor in Ross which brought him 5 s a year in rent. By the 18th century there were no more restrictions and most farms had a dovecote.

Dovecotes have been built in a variety of building materials, such as brick or timber and in a variety of shapes. Often they are circular, but they can also be square, octagonal or even rectangular. The Knights Templar dovecote in Garway is one of the finest remaining examples of a medieval dovecote in England. There are 666 17- square-inch nesting holes, a water trough which is very rare in dovecotes and a Latin inscription above the door:

"Anno Domini millesimo trecentesimo vicesimo sexto factum fuit istud columbare fratrem Ricardum"

This translates as : "In the year 1326 this dovecote was built by Brother Richard."

Garway Dovecote SMR 1065

The black rat was the medieval rat and ate grain and fruit (the brown rat, which is the one we see today, was introduced around 1720 and poses a greater threat to pigeons and their eggs). Brother Richard would have been aware of the threat of black rats to his pigeons (they would have eaten the grain and perhaps the bird's eggs). Therefore at Garway dovecot there was a projecting string course high above the ground which rats could not climb over. A string course is a row of bricks or stones protruding (sticking out) from a wall. Other dovecotes in Herefordshire which used this method can be seen at Much Cowarne, Hellens and at Nurton Court.

The meat of young pigeons, called squabs, was considered a delicacy and during the Middle Ages only wealthy people could enjoy it. Pigeons were reared to provide fresh meat during March to October, which was the main breeding season (and not to provide meat in the winter as is sometimes said).

Click here for a recipe for cooking pigeons:

Pigeons were useful in other ways too. Their feathers were used for down bedding and their manure for fertilising fields, especially hop fields. From the 16^th century pigeon manure was even used for making gunpowder. From the 13^th to the 15^th century knights imported gunpowder from Italy. The earliest gunpowder works in England was probably at Bermondsey Abbey around 1536. To make gunpowder you need saltpetre, charcoal and sulphur. (The saltpetre was made by mixing the pigeon dung with earth, lime and ashes – don’t do this at home!)

From the early 18^th century onwards root crops, such as turnips and swedes were grown to feed to animals during the winter months. Therefore fresh meat would have been available more freely. This is an argument used by people who believe that pigeons were kept to provide a source of meat during the winter months.

Another reason is that tenant farmers and small holders complained bitterly because the pigeons were eating their crops. One estimate of the damage these birds did, is that in 1801 they ate the equivalent amount of food of 100,000 people in Britain. By the 19^th century the gentry did not have as much power as in the Middle Ages and gradually dovecotes went out of fashion.

There are many different types of dovecotes in Herefordshire, from different periods. You could search the SMR database to create a list and then search for one near to your school. Or you could make a list of all the dovecotes for a given period.

The dovecot at Hellens, Much Marcle.

Questions: 1.What is a dovecote used for? 2.Why did peasants hate pigeons? 3.Why is the dovecote at Garway special? 4.What is pigeon dung useful for? 5.Which animal liked eating pigeon eggs?

Click here for answers

(Sources: Historical Britain, Eric S.Wood, 1995. "The Conservation of Historic Dovecotes", in Journal of Architectural Conservation, No.2, July 1995, John McCann.

"A Survey of Dovecotes in the Old County of Herefordshire", W.D.Peters, 1979. Food in England, Dorothy Hartley, 1954. Doves and Dovecotes Peter & Jean Hansell, Millstream Books, 1988.)

TFM