Search
Close this search box.

What is a Dovecote?

Table of Contents

What is a Dovecote?

A dovecote is a structure designed to house doves, pigeons, and other small birds, dependent on your own preference. These structures provide a safe environment for pigeons to nest in, as well as create a clear home base for the birds; this encourages them to settle and make a dovecote their ideal home.

Modern dovecotes purchased today are often used to house racing pigeons and other hobby birds, including ornamental doves. The keeping of ornamental doves in garden settings started to become popular during the 1920s, and this trend has continued right through to the present day.

Over the years, there has been a vast array of names for these beautiful structures; examples include dovecot, dovecote, dovecote, pigeon cote, dove house, Doocote and many more. You may be pleased to know that they all mean the same thing and derive from language and regional differences.

A note on terminology: a dovecote or pigeon house may appear in English-language documents as a culverhouse, in Scots as a doocot and in Latin as a columbarium.

Historically, pigeons and doves were an important food source for the wealthy, providing tender meat and eggs. These beautiful birds were also used to carry messages, and their manure was a great form of fertilizer. People kept varying numbers of birds in their dovecotes; in some parts of the world, a flock of doves was a status symbol. 

In some regions of the United Kingdom, dovecote construction was regulated, and ownership of the birds was restricted to people of a certain social rank. Some very fine examples of ornate dovecotes can be found in old manors in Europe.

Dovecote designs

Several basic design features are common to all dovecotes. They generally have a large number of compartments or cubbies to serve as individual nest holes; they are also elevated to deter predators. The shape of a dovecote varies widely; circular, square and octagonal dovecotes are all relatively common.

Typically, the structure of the older and traditional dovecotes is large enough for someone to walk inside, and it was hollowed out, with the cubbies lining the inside walls.

These dovecotes are very few and far between now as, over the years, they have been demolished or have been neglected. The remaining traditional dovecotes are protected to help preserve their history.

In addition to the large traditional brick dovecotes, it is also possible to find much smaller structures, which are designed for estates, and public and private gardens of any size.

At Robinson Garden, we specialise in producing wooden dovecotes that house up to six pairs of doves in specially crafted individual compartments to house each pair, making it ideal for a casual hobbyist who likes keeping birds but doesn’t want to invest a lot of time and energy.

Dovedale Bespoke Wooden Dovecote Dove House hand painted using Farrow and Ball Paint. All hand crafted in England, UK
| What is a Dovecote? | Robinson Garden

Recommended For You

Lyndhurst Bespoke Hand Painted Nesting Box Bird Box using Farrow & Ball Paint - Suitable for small garden birds during nesting season
Sale!
Lyndhurst Bespoke Hand-painted Wooden Bird Box for Nesting
£20.00£29.95
Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
Hand carved wooden mice. Buy now on Robinson Garden
Sale!
Hand Carved Wooden Mice
£3.50£27.50
Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
Burley Bespoke Wooden Bird Box Nesting Box
Burley Wooden Bespoke Bird Box for Nesting – Unpainted
£15.00£18.00
Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
Stamford Bespoke Hand Varnished Nesting Box Bird Box suitable for small garden birds during nesting season
Sale!
Stamford Bespoke Hand-varnished Wooden Bird Box for Nesting
Original price was: £45.00.Current price is: £35.00.
Edwardian Dog Kennel - Farrow & Ball Cooking Apple Green 1
Edwardian Bespoke Handmade Outdoor Dog Kennel / Dog House
£670.00
Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
Montague Bespoke Wooden Bird Table Feeder hand painted using Farrow and Ball Paint. All hand crafted in England, UK. Unusual wooden bird table and bird feeding platform for sale that are suitable for small birds. Our heavy duty wooden bird tables are free standing bird feeders suitable for all garden bird feeders. If you want to find bird tables near me, look no further with our premium bird tables. Our range of posh bird tables are slate roof bird table or wooden roof bird table that isn’t a fence mounted bird feeder. Due to the nature of the bird table structure our large bird table designs are squirrel proof bird table. Robinson Garden have for sale open garden bird tables that are all handmade bird tables. If you are looking for bespoke bird tables, quirky bird tables, luxury bird feeders, contemporary bird feeder, modern bird tables, premium bird tables and rustic bird tables, look no further as we believe we sell the best bird tables. Please note that our bird tables and feeding platforms are not like those purchased from argos, b&q, gardman, tom chambers peckish, rspb, wilko, dobbies, the range, amazon, pets at home, eva solo, dunelm, b and q, bempton bird table, honeyfields and home bargains.
Montague Bespoke Hand-painted Wooden Bird Table
£435.00£475.00
Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
Basil Bespoke Wooden Bird Table Feeder hand painted using Farrow and Ball Paint. All hand crafted in England, UK. Unusual wooden bird table and bird feeding platform for sale that are suitable for small birds. Our heavy duty wooden bird tables are free standing bird feeders suitable for all garden bird feeders. If you want to find bird tables near me, look no further with our premium bird tables. Our range of posh bird tables are slate roof bird table or wooden roof bird table that isn’t a fence mounted bird feeder. Due to the nature of the bird table structure our large bird table designs are squirrel proof bird table. Robinson Garden have for sale open garden bird tables that are all handmade bird tables. If you are looking for bespoke bird tables, quirky bird tables, luxury bird feeders, contemporary bird feeder, modern bird tables, premium bird tables and rustic bird tables, look no further as we believe we sell the best bird tables. Please note that our bird tables and feeding platforms are not like those purchased from argos, b&q, gardman, tom chambers peckish, rspb, wilko, dobbies, the range, amazon, pets at home, eva solo, dunelm, b and q, bempton bird table, honeyfields and home bargains.
Sale!
Basil Bespoke Hand-painted Wooden Bird Table
£430.00£470.00
Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
Willow Bespoke Wooden Bird Table Feeder hand painted using Farrow and Ball Paint. All hand crafted in England, UK. Unusual wooden bird table and bird feeding platform for sale that are suitable for small birds. Our heavy duty wooden bird tables are free standing bird feeders suitable for all garden bird feeders. If you want to find bird tables near me, look no further with our premium bird tables. Our range of posh bird tables are slate roof bird table or wooden roof bird table that isn’t a fence mounted bird feeder. Due to the nature of the bird table structure our large bird table designs are squirrel proof bird table. Robinson Garden have for sale open garden bird tables that are all handmade bird tables. If you are looking for bespoke bird tables, quirky bird tables, luxury bird feeders, contemporary bird feeder, modern bird tables, premium bird tables and rustic bird tables, look no further as we believe we sell the best bird tables. Please note that our bird tables and feeding platforms are not like those purchased from argos, b&q, gardman, tom chambers peckish, rspb, wilko, dobbies, the range, amazon, pets at home, eva solo, dunelm, b and q, bempton bird table, honeyfields and home bargains.
Sale!
Willow Bespoke Hand-painted Wooden Bird Table
£340.00£380.00
Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
Phoenix Bespoke Wooden Bird Table Feeder hand painted using Farrow and Ball Paint. All hand crafted in England, UK_03 Unusual wooden bird table and bird feeding platform for sale that are suitable for small birds. Our heavy duty wooden bird tables are free standing bird feeders suitable for all garden bird feeders. If you want to find bird tables near me, look no further with our premium bird tables. Our range of posh bird tables are slate roof bird table or wooden roof bird table that isn’t a fence mounted bird feeder. Due to the nature of the bird table structure our large bird table designs are squirrel proof bird table. Robinson Garden have for sale open garden bird tables that are all handmade bird tables. If you are looking for bespoke bird tables, quirky bird tables, luxury bird feeders, contemporary bird feeder, modern bird tables, premium bird tables and rustic bird tables, look no further as we believe we sell the best bird tables. Please note that our bird tables and feeding platforms are not like those purchased from argos, b&q, gardman, tom chambers peckish, rspb, wilko, dobbies, the range, amazon, pets at home, eva solo, dunelm, b and q, bempton bird table, honeyfields and home bargains.
Sale!
Phoenix Bespoke Hand-painted Wooden Bird Table
£430.00£470.00
Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
Buckingham Bespoke Handcrafted Wooden Garden Obelisk hand painted using Farrow and Ball Paint. All hand crafted in England, UK. Find our range of wooden garden obelisks for sale. Our bespoke garden obelisks are all timber obelisks and are painted wooden garden obelisks suitable for all climbing plants such as roses, clematis and sweet peas that are all painted using Farrow & Ball Paint. We can paint white wooden obelisks as well as green, blue and much more. We sell wooden obelisk trellis which are beautiful and are shown in a pyramid shape and a range of sizes, small wooden obelisks, large wooden obelisks, tall, small, 1.9m, 2m wooden obelisks for your garden. With our bespoke wooden obelisks there is no need to worry about wooden garden obelisk kits or making a wooden obelisk. All of our garden obelisks are made by Robinson Garden and not to be confused by wooden obelisk b&q, sara raven, wooden garden obelisk company, Snowdon wooden obelisk, wooden obelisk company, amazon wooden obelisk, alidi or tom chambers wooden obelisk.
Buckingham Bespoke Hand-painted Wooden Garden Obelisk
£445.00£575.00
Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
Windsor Wooden Garden Obelisk hand-painted using Farrow and Ball Paint. All hand crafted in England, UK. Suitable for climbing plants to climb up the structure such as clematis and rose trees and bushes. Find our range of wooden garden obelisks for sale. Our bespoke garden obelisks are all timber obelisks and are painted wooden garden obelisks suitable for all climbing plants such as roses, clematis and sweet peas that are all painted using Farrow & Ball Paint. We can paint white wooden obelisks as well as green, blue and much more. We sell wooden obelisk trellis which are beautiful and are shown in a pyramid shape and a range of sizes, small wooden obelisks, large wooden obelisks, tall, small, 1.9m, 2m wooden obelisks for your garden. With our bespoke wooden obelisks there is no need to worry about wooden garden obelisk kits or making a wooden obelisk. All of our garden obelisks are made by Robinson Garden and not to be confused by wooden obelisk b&q, sara raven, wooden garden obelisk company, Snowdon wooden obelisk, wooden obelisk company, amazon wooden obelisk, alidi or tom chambers wooden obelisk.
Windsor Bespoke Hand-painted Wooden Garden Obelisk
£315.00£445.00
Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
Mayfair Bespoke Wooden Dovecote Dove House hand painted using Farrow and Ball Paint. All hand crafted in England, UK
Sale!
Mayfair Bespoke Hand-painted Wooden Dovecote
£1,495.00£1,845.00
Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
Beaulieu Bespoke Wooden Bird Table Feeder hand painted using Farrow and Ball Paint. All hand crafted in England. Beaulieu bird table / Beaulieu bird table. Unusual wooden bird table and bird feeding platform for sale that are suitable for small birds. Our heavy duty wooden bird tables are free standing bird feeders suitable for all garden bird feeders. If you want to find bird tables near me, look no further with our premium bird tables. Our range of posh bird tables are slate roof bird table or wooden roof bird table that isn’t a fence mounted bird feeder. Due to the nature of the bird table structure our large bird table designs are squirrel proof bird table. Robinson Garden have for sale open garden bird tables that are all handmade bird tables. If you are looking for bespoke bird tables, quirky bird tables, luxury bird feeders, contemporary bird feeder, modern bird tables, premium bird tables and rustic bird tables, look no further as we believe we sell the best bird tables. Please note that our bird tables and feeding platforms are not like those purchased from argos, b&q, gardman, tom chambers peckish, rspb, wilko, dobbies, the range, amazon, pets at home, eva solo, dunelm, b and q, bempton bird table, honeyfields and home bargains.
Sale!
Beaulieu Bespoke Hand-painted Wooden Bird Table
£440.00£450.00
Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
Dovedale Bespoke Wooden Dovecote Dove House hand painted using Farrow and Ball Paint. All hand crafted in England, UK
Dovedale Bespoke Hand-painted Wooden Dovecote
£1,625.00£1,945.00
Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
Fantail Bespoke Wooden Dovecote Dove House hand painted using Farrow and Ball Paint. All hand crafted in England, UK
Fantail Bespoke Hand-painted Wooden Dovecote
£1,625.00£1,945.00
Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page