2010
SS9943 : Dovecote, Dunster
taken 14 years ago, near to Dunster, Somerset, England
Dovecote, Dunster
Late 16th century circular dovecote.
Dovecotes or doocots are buildings erected for housing doves and pigeons. Some of the round ones are so impressive that they can be mistaken for the base of a windmill or a small defensive tower. Many were erected during the improvement of estates in the 17th and 18th centuries, and achieved sufficient architectural and historical merit to be safeguarded as listed or scheduled buildings.
Some dovecotes are attached to farmsteads or let into the gable end of a barn or granary – much to the annoyance to the tenant farmers no doubt as doves and pigeons damage crops.
Dovecotes and pigeon lofts were not just ornamental; the birds provided a source of fresh meat in winter.
Image classification
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