Dove Cote at Whitton Hall

Seems strange to think that the doves and pigeons that lived there were a source of food in days gone by.

In England, the creation of dovecotes can be traced back to the Norman period (1066 – 1154). Until the seventeenth century, the right to keep doves was a privilege enjoyed exclusively by the aristocratic elite. For this reason, dovecotes created before this period are almost always found within or close to castles and great houses.