October 2010    Photographers Resource - Monthly    Edition 82

Dovecots, Doocots and Pigeon Houses

• Editorial

• Feature - Dovecots, Doocots and Pigeon Houses

• Photographers Diary

• October Wildlife Diary

Feature

Dovecots, Doocots and Pigeon Houses

It is thought that dovecots arrived in the UK during the Norman period, and they were prolific from the 14th-18th centuries. They were a privilege of the landed gentry and in medieval times possession of a dovecote was a symbol of status and power and was regulated by law. It was a feudal privilege restricted to barons, abbots and lords of the manor. So the few remaining medieval dovecotes we see today, still standing or in ruins, are connected with manor houses, castles, parsonages or former monastic sites, like Penmon Dovecot on Anglesey.

The Dovecote was the building built to house the doves and pigeons, usually placed at a height above the ground, with openings and provision inside for roosting and breeding. They were grand structures made of local materials and built to make a statement. In 1600 Oliver de Serres wrote in his book on agriculture that ‘no man need ever have an ill-provisioned house if there be but attached to it a dovecot, a warren and a fishpond wherein meat may be found as readily at hand as if it were stored in a larder.’ Many dovecotes were built or positioned with the food providing buildings of the time, such as granaries, barns and on some big estates they may also have been put in the Deer Park.

They are also known as a pigeon house, culvery, culverhay or culverhouse (culver being Anglo Saxon for Pigeon), Doocot in Scotland, Cholomendy (meaning 'dove house' in Welsh) and columbarium in Latin.

Duntisbourne Leer Farm Dovecote, Gloucestershire   

Their purpose was a functional one, to house pigeons or doves. For centuries pigeons and doves were an important food source and were kept for their eggs, meat, dung and feathers. Their eggs and meat obviously being a food source particularly needed during the winter months when cattle, pigs and sheep were not able to be slaughtered. Their feathers and down would be used to fill pillows and bedding. The dung however had a number of uses, it was a very good fertilizer but it was also used in the tanning industry to soften leather, and in the early 17th century it was a major source of salpetre used in the manufacture of gunpowder.

Pigeons were low maintenance and cheap to keep in that once the dovecote had been established they would fly off daily and feed on surrounding fields. Very few owners fed them only during bad weather when it would be difficult for the pigeons to forage for themselves. The only jobs required were to clean out their dung and collect the eggs or young. Pigeons can have two young every couple of months and the young are fed by their parents for the first 4-6 weeks of their lives. At 4 weeks the young are adult size but are not able to fly because their feathers have not fully developed, so it is at this age that they were usually harvested for food.

For a more detailed look at the history of dovecotes and why pigeons/doves were important take a look at Dovecots.

They can be found all over the country in various locations and we have produced three listings of those we have been able to identify so far, and they can be found in the following pages:

• Dovecots in England 

• Dovecots in Wales

• Doocots in Scotland

We have also created a number of Location Guides, show a variation of styles and designs.

In Scotland they were very popular and because there were many smaller estates they were prolific in some areas such as Fife and East Lothian having about two thirds of them. In Scotland they are referred to as a 'Doocot'. Scottish Doocots were primarily of two designs the 'beehive' which are circular and tapered from the bottom and the 'lectern' which was square or rectangular and usually having one or more chambers, and good examples of these are still standing today, although there are many more in ruin.

In other parts of the UK they come in all different shapes and sizes. Early ones were mainly circular but some were also square or rectangular. Some areas took on certain characteristics such as the Black and White timber framed ones in Herefordshire or the square gabled designs of Gloucestershire, but although they had this base shape they are by no means designed to a set pattern and each one is individual, in fact it is probably difficult to find identical designs. By the late 17th and early 18th century square and rectangular designs became outmoded in favour or octagon and occasionally hexagonal designs. By this point their practical side was becoming less important and they were becoming more of a fashionable decorative feature to include in a parkland landscape or garden, effectively a folly. So you may find some also listed within our Follies & Monuments Section. Dovecotes were not only free standing structures they were also incorporated into other buildings such as castle towers, church towers, barns, etc and some were created out of existing buildings that no longer had a function such as windmills. As dovecotes became less popular some of them took on new functions such has being used for garden storage sheds, those near a river or stream may have become a watermill and some others have been converted into houses for us. Inside their walls would be covered with nest boxes, smaller ones having around 500 but larger

Hawford Dovecot, Worcestershire

ones could have between one to three thousand. In the majority of the circular ones there would also be a 'potence'. This was an early labour saving device. This structure consists of a revolving wooden pole, mounted on a plinth, with arms onto which ladders could be attached and suspended a few feet off the ground. It was used to enable the eggs and squabs to be collected. Dovecote Construction takes a more detailed look at this and how they were constructed.

Although the grand structure that the dovecote had up to the 19th century is no longer built, there are some 20th century structures which are built by pigeon fanciers. Many of these will look like a garden shed and don't take on the grandness of those of the past, usually made of wood.

There are also still many being made and erected in gardens today throughout Britain as decorative features and are usually small wooden structures that can be incorporated into our much smaller gardens. In many cases those that have been stocked with a few birds are generally using the white dove variety rather than the plump edible variety of the past.

Tantollen Doocot, East Lothian Scotland Photo by Eileen Henderson

In the outer bailing of Tantallon Castle and with the island of Bass Rock behind.

The New November diary is now in the 'next month' slot with October moved to in the 'this month'. Both months have a lot of opportunities for everyone.  Some highlights that are of particular interest are:-

 

We start off this month today with 'World Smile Day', whose catch phrase is 'Do an act of kindness - help one person smile'. If anything October is probably one of the months where we ALL smiling, with our landscape around us changing and adding a glowing colour to our daily lives, the start of Firework season where our skies light up with colour, sounds, and smoke! When little furry Red Squirrels scurry about in the woodlands finding and hiding their food and watching our friends and neighbours as well as our own children delight in 'Scary Night' on Halloween at the end of the month. The October diary is another packed affair with many an event taking place. Firework season starts off with a bang this weekend with the British Musical Firework Championships in Southport,

Red Squirrels

each of the three nights the sky will be lit up over Marine Lake as 6 companies compete for the title. Other Firework Events   taking place this month and next on or around 5th November can be found in this list, we also have a Fire Festivals and Fire Events list for the more unusual and spectacular. Photographing fireworks   will make sure you go along to your chosen event prepared and you should come away with some fantastic images.

We are also in Carnivals and Illuminations season, with many running around the country and you will find some also in our diary page. The Somerset Illuminated Carnival circuit starts off with probably the biggest of them all, the Bridgwater Carnival.   It is the most spectacular carnival event I have ever attended and is well worth a visit, it also gives you some photographic challenges with low light levels and large crowds of people.  Blackpool Illuminations is continuing throughout the whole of this month and is a spectacle. But there are many other events that take advantage of the nights getting darker earlier, such as the Vintage Festival of Light which mixes classic cars, vehicles and steam engines with fireworks on the 2nd. Or The Enchanted Forest Force of Nature in Faskally Wood near Pitlochry, Scotland which starts on the 22nd and runs through to the 7th November. Photographing coloured lights in forest/woodland settings,   Photographing carnivals with lights  and Photographing fun fairs may give you some tips on how to best achieve good low level light images of lighted moving items.

Bridgwater Carnival

The country show season is starting to wind down with the British National Ploughing Championships taking place on the 9th and 10th of October in Lincolnshire, where as well as horse ploughing championships and tractor ploughing, there will be machinery demonstrations, working horses on display, rural craft displays, static displays of machinery, steam ploughing engines, trade stands and more. Countryside Live takes place on the 23rd in Harrogate, West Yorkshire showing Horsemanship Masterclasses, Equine Classes, Cattle, Sheep & Pigs, Pigeons & Poultry, Dog Agility, Local and Regional Food, Fruit, Vegetable & Flower Shows and Sausage Competitions.

Halloween and Pumpkins. Fright night is on the 31st, but during this month there are a number of events that celebrate both this and Pumpkins, such as the Autumn Pumpkin Festival in Southampton on the 9th, an afternoon of pumpkin fun with Pumpkin food, pumpkin wine and beer, autumn storytelling, Big Draw art activities, BBQ, stalls, games and giant pumpkins, with the UK Pumpkin Champion chosen. Or the Gowdall Scarecrow and Pumpkin Festival near Goole in East Yorkshire on the 26th, where they have been mixed to give a more unusual day out.

 

A Conker

On the theme of unusual on the 10th, there is the World Conker Championships in Northamptonshire and the World Porridge Making Championships in Inverness-shire. Or on the 24th you could visit the October Plenty in London where a procession of characters such as the Corn Queen, Hobby Horse and Berry Man (a variant of the traditional Green Man) will lead people to Borough Market, where there is also a special Apple Day Food Fair. In fact there is so much going on so take a look at the diary page for this month to find something that is of interest to you.   DON'T FORGET British Summer time ends on the 31st October - so remember to put your clocks BACK ONE hour.

October is probably the busiest time for wildlife and the most colourful month of the year in the UK. It is all going on with both the comings and goings of our wildlife and our fauna is taking on miraculous changes that give the photographer or artist too much to take in. The lower level of the sun also gives brilliant orange skies or light they streaks through the tree canopy.

 

We are now in the throws of Autumn and our woodlands are beginning to show their true colours. Of course we still have the greens of the evergreens, but woodlands will now also be supporting gold's, browns, oranges and reds, from the leaves of the trees. Once the leaves wilt they detach themselves from the tree and create a golden brown carpet beneath our feet. Take a walk in the woodland on a cold day and the carpet will be crunchy, and if you take a chance to peer underneath you may also come across some colourful fungi, like that of the Fly Agaric variety with its red tops and white spotty pattern, of course on a wet day the leaves will be squiggy and mulchy but the fungi won't mind, it's just what they want. Woodlands make great photographic opportunities this time of year, with their colours and the lower sunlight which can create streams of magical light as it makes it way through the woodland canopy. We have an Autumn Colours  topic area where you can find articles, photographic techniques and lists of places where you can find some fantastic autumn colours.

Fly Algaric Fungi found on the woodland floor

Two particular places I like to visit this time of year are Westonbirt Arboretum in Gloucestershire because of its wide variety of trees and therefore large variation in colour, from the reds of the Acers to the golden yellows and the browns, and as with many arboretums, with their specimens being in close proximity to each other, it is easier to get that array of vibrant colours in one image. The other place is Stourhead, in Wiltshire now this location benefits from the fact it is in a valley and sheltered so the leaves take longer to fall. But the other nice thing about Stourhead is the large lake at its centre, so not only do you get great colours, but if the sun is on your side you can get some fabulous reflections as well.

Staying on the topic of trees of course the Horse Chestnuts over the past few weeks have been supporting large green spiky bulbs which house the prize possession of a Conker Champion. These are now falling and it was only a few days ago that I had to dodge a number of them as they were falling to the ground, as you dodged you could hear them crack as they landed on the hard surface. If you want to see the fruit (conker) in action then you could go along to the World Conker Championships in Northamptonshire on the 10th of this month, see our diary for details on how to get there etc.

 

Fieldfares  munching on an apple

In the countryside our hedgerows are still full of fruit and berries and providing a good food source for our birds as well as for the new winter visitors that are starting to return to our shores, such as the Redwings  and Fieldfares.  If you have an orchard then you may be lucky enough to get a Fieldfare in your garden they do like to feast on the rotting apples that fall off the trees. Staying in the woods in some parts of the country where there are populations, the Red Squirrel is starting to undergo its autumn moult and their coats become that deep red that gives them their names, the tails become fuller and their little tufty ears reappear. Red Squirrel Week starts on the 2nd where we are encouraged to take the opportunity to consider them and if you're able try and get out in their patch to see and photograph them, you will not be disappointed. Our list of Where to photograph Red Squirrels will

help you identify somewhere to visit, but if you're in range of Formby Point near Southport in Lancashire then this is a great place to get a glimpse, they will be scurrying around on the ground finding cones and nuts to eat and hide ready to forage for later. Here they are used to visitors, and although a little shy if you happen to have bought one of the bags of nuts they like to eat, distributing them on the floor within range will encourage them to come closer so that you can capture them, in your camera of course! If you need some tips on how to photograph them then Squirrels and How to Photograph Them will point you in the right direction.

Of course the big event for one of our mammals is the Red Deer Rut. The Kings of our deer population are busy taking on their rivals in order to keep their territory and trying to hold onto the girls so that it is their offspring that is sired this year. Red Deer are the largest of the deer to be found in the UK and one of the breeds that many consider to be native. They can be found in the wild, but you will need skill, patience and an early start to see them. However we also have many in parks and estates around the country and our list Where to Photograph Deer in the UK  will help you to identify some of the best places to look. One of the biggest populations is on the Isle of Jura off Scotland's west coast where there are around 6000 of them. I have also this year found out that there is a small herd of around 30 on Ramsey Island off the coast of South Wales. Within our Deer section there are articles and guides on Photographing deer and other photography related topics for this area.

On the water the big migration of Winter Migrants makes a start, with geese returning to our shores and wetland reserves, from their breeding grounds. The Swans are also starting to arrive, although in small numbers initially. At the end of next month at the WWT Slimbridge Centre in Gloucestershire they start their floodlit feed displays of the Bewick's Swan. For more on what is happing in the wildlife and nature world take a look at Wildlife photography in October.

 

Badgers have been in the press again recently with the talk of culling and TB. The 2nd of October is National Badger Day and many local badger groups will be running guided visits to badger sites as well as raising awareness of their plight. Where we previously lived we would regularly have badgers visit our garden, they are such shy and skittish creatures I can't see why anyone would not want them around. Oh and by the way they love nuts. So there is no reason, even if the weather is not always great, that you could not be out in the countryside or in your local park this month. So take the chance to make use of your camera and get some great images that you will enjoy looking at again and again during the winter.

Badger

Dovecots

Dovecote Construction

Scottish Doocots

Dovecots in England

Dovecots in Wales

Doocots in Scotland

Ascott Park Dovecot, Stadhampton, Oxfordshire

Audley End Dovecot, Essex

Bemerton Farm Dovecot, Wiltshire

Bruton Dovecot, Somerset

Corstorphine Doocot, Mid Lothian

Duntisbourne Leer Farm Dovecote, Gloucestershire   

Duntisbourne Leer Cottage Dovecot, Gloucestershire

Green House Dovecot, Shropshire

Hawford Dovecot, Worcestershire

Kinwarton Dovecot, Warwickshire

Melville Doocot, Fife

Minster Lovell Dovecot, Oxfordshire

Norton Sub Hamdon Dovecot, Somerset

Pigeon Tower, Rivington, Lancashire

Rockville Farm Doocot, East Lothian

Stoke Sub Hamdon Dovecot, Somerset

Tantollen Doocot, East Lothian

Wichenford Dovecot, Worcestershire

Willington Dovecot, Bedfordshire

Photographing Deer

Where to Photograph Deer in the UK 

Red Deer

Ramsey Island

Carnivals and Illuminations

Bridgwater Carnival, Bridgwater, Somerset

Firework Events

Fire Festivals and Fire Events

Alford Windmill, Alford, Lincs