Looking Back: The days of the dovecote – when 26,000 towers sprinkled the English countryside

Only the lord of the manor was allowed a dovecote, and the peasants were forbidden from harming his pigeons – even from shooing them off their crops. It must have been so infuriating to see his birds stripping your crops bare as they grew nice and plump at your expense only for his lordship to eat them.

The Normans introduced the concept of keeping pigeons to Britain, and for the next 700 years the pigeon was the only source of fresh meat all year round. Livestock was too expensive to overwinter and so most animals were killed in the late autumn, and their meat salted and preserved.

But pigeons kept billing and cooing all year round, a pair hatching out a squab every six weeks or so.

Most well-to-do places had a pigeoncote built into a gable end, but only the really top places had a dovecote, a free standing circular tower in which up to 500 pairs could nest.

Many of these had a wooden potence inside them – a revolving ladder which carried the pigeonman around the walls of the dovecote so he could easily check all the nestboxes and remove the birds as the day’s menu required.

The days of the dovecote came to an end in the 18th Century when turnips and swedes were introduced. These rootcrops could be cheaply stored overwinter and fed to cattle, thus enabling the animals to be kept alive.

And so dovecotes, like icehouses, fell out of fashion and were allowed to fall down. A few have survived, their dumpy presence curiously enhancing the countryside.

A fortnight ago in this space, we stumbled upon the dovecote in the grounds of Gainford Hall. Raby Estate is controversially planning to build 70 houses on nearby farmland to raise money to restore both the hall and its dovecote.

On a flight of fancy, we asked what other dovecotes remain. Loads of people got in touch

Barforth: High on a Yorkshire cliff overlooking Gainford on the Durham side of the River Tees. This is a wonderfully atmospheric area, with the romantic ruins of the 14th Century St Lawrence's Chapel in the same field. Nearby, is a packhorse bridge over a steep ravine, and the dovecote, which was stabilised in 2013, is 600 years old and one of the earliest “beehive” shapes in the country. This was a large dovecote, perhaps able to hold 1,500 birds.

The restored Barforth dovecote with Gainford Hall on the right in the background. Picture: Hugh Mortimer

Barton: Beside the road is a curious structure known locally as "the watchtower", which is now regarded as the smallest free-standing dovecote in England. It was built 150 years ago as a porch on a terrace of houses, with pigeons above the front door. The terrace was demolished in the 1950s, but the dovecote was allowed to remain.

The North Yorkshire village of Barton, near Darlington, in September 1951, with the dovecota very much attached to the terrace of old houses on the left of the picture

Caldwell: A small village founded around a cold spring, it has a surprisingly large dovecote tucked away behind a church. The dovecote is much older than the church, which was built in 1844, as it may even have 12th Century traces in it. Most dovecotes are near to a stately home, but it is not clear which landowner the Caldwell cote belonged to.

Caldwell dovecote could even date back to the 21th Century but looks largely 17th Century. Picture: Hugh Mortimer

Dunsa Bank: Dick Scot Lane runs off the A66 from West Layton to Dalton, dropping down Dunsa Bank where there is said to be an early 18th Century dovecote in a farm. It was built over an outside toilet which is divided in two by a wall – one side is for the farmer to use, the other for his lowly farmhands. There’s Pigeon Hill nearby.

Egglescliffe Hall: Shane Sellers draws our attention to a small, two storey late 18th Century dovecote in the courtyard of Egglescliffe Hall.

The quaint dovecote in the courtyard at Egglescliffe Hall. Picture: Shane Sellers

Gainford: The dovecote probably dates from when the Reverend John Cradock was building Gainford Hall between 1600 and 1604.

The 400-year-old dovecote in the grounds of Gainford Hall. Picture: Will Bartle

Forcett: The grandest dovecote in the district is in the grounds of Forcett Park. It is octagonal and has an arcaded cattle shelter on the ground floor. It was designed in the 1730s by Daniel Garrett, a London-trained architect, who was a protege of Lord Burlington and worked at Raby Castle and Gibside.

Michael Rudd, in Darlington, points to new research about one of Garrett’s most famous projects: designing the buildings in the fashionable Vauxhall pleasure gardens in Chelsea. At the Georgian gardens’ heart was an octagonal Orchestra – or bandstand – in which the musicians were raised up by a ground floor arcade. The North Yorkshire dovecote and the London Orchestra are believed to have had many similarities.

The most decorative dovecote in the district at Forcett has many similarities to a bandstand in the Vauxhall pleasure gardens in London

The Forcett dovecote was restored at a cost of £12,000 by the Richmond Preservation Trust in 1987; the Vauxhall Gardens were built upon in the late 19th Century.

Headlam Hall: The hall to the north of Gainford is now a hotel. In its yard, there are the remains of a dovecote which dates from when Thomas Birkbeck created the hall at the start of the 17th Century.

The remains of a dovecote at Headlam Hall, near Gainford. Picture: Hugh Mortimer

Low Middleton: A late 18th Century octagonal brick-built dovecote stands in a field near Low Middleton Hall, which is close to Middleton One Row. It could be the largest in the area, with nesting boxes for up to 2,000 birds. In 2013, the derelict dovecote was described as “one of Darlington's important and unique heritage assets” and planning permission was granted to convert it into a residence. That doesn’t seem to have happened.

The dovecote at Low Middleton Hall, near Middleton One Row, which had planning permission to turn it into a residence

Marske-by-the-Sea: In the grounds of Marske Hall, which was built in 1625 by Sir William Pennyman, there is a huge and, dare we say it, rather ugly, brick dovecote. It had room for 1,000 nests in 22 tiers.

Snape Castle, near Bedale: The square dovecote has recently been a one-bedroom holiday let. Its brochure said: “Set within the former grounds of Snape Castle, a Grade I listed ancient monument and home to Catherine Parr before her marriage to Henry VIII, the Dovecote dates from the 17th Century, and retains original hand carved stone dove boxes.”

We’ve also had reports of free-standing but rather derelict dovecotes at the Manor House in Houghton-le-Side to the north-west of Darlington, at Coatsay Moor Farm at Heighington, near the castle at Walworth, in the grounds of Marrick Park, near Richmond, and in the garden of Aldbrough Hall in Aldbrough St John.

One of the towers in the castle of Barnard Castle may also have been converted into a dovecote at some time in its history.

Then there are dovecotes which have gone but which have left a reminder of their presence. In Stockton, there’s the Dovecote Arts Centre, in Trimdon, there’s the Dovecote Inn, in Staindrop there’s Dovecote Street and Pigeon Cote Wynd, while in Middleton Tyas, there’s Duccot House.

And there must be more. If you can shed any light on any of these dovecotes, or tell us about any we’ve missed out, please email chris.lloyd@nne.co.uk

• Many thanks to everyone who has helped, especially Hugh Mortimer for his splendid pictures.