Berkshire History for Kids: Dovecote

Where Monks kept their Dinner

This is where the monks kept doves or pigeons.
They could be round or square. Sometimes they were built into barns.
They always had inside walls covered with little holes or niches where the birds could nest.
The birds got in through a slatted turret at the top.
The monks kept pigeons to eat them. They were a good source of fresh meat, particularly in the winter.
The monks were supposed to be vegetarians. The abbot often let them eat pigeon though.
The abbot was allowed to eat meat because he often had important guests to entertain.
Of Berkshire's monastic dovecotes, only the one at Hurley Priory has survived.
Manor Houses and big farms could have dovecotes too. Several still exist in Berkshire; like at Coley Park, Bisham Abbey Manor, Pigeon House Farm in Eastbury, the manor at Long Wittenham or the two in Marcham.
The nearest dovecotes open to the public are at Basing House in Hampshire and Minster Lovell Hall in Oxfordshire.