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It is believed that dovecotes were first used in England in the Norman period. They were only used by the wealthy.
Between October 1412 and September 1413, Lady Alice de Breyne of Acton, Suffolk kept records of all food and drink consumed on her grand property, and on one occasion "one capon, two chickens and twenty pigeons" were eaten, showing the significance of pigeons in their diet at the time. According to a separate record, the Earl of Warwick held a banquet in 1470, at which 4000 pigeons were reportedly served! Banquets at that time were incredibly grand and a huge number of guests would have attended.
Some pigeon farms in the 16th century housed up to 30,000 birds. It was at this point in time that pigeon consumption rose in popularity, beginning to be eaten regularly, rather than occasionally as a delicacy. In the 17th century, there were over 26,000 dovecotes in England.
There has been a decline in domestic dovecote construction in the country in recent years, with smaller garden birdhouses made of wood replacing the traditional brick building. This is due to a parallel decline in pigeon consumption, and developments in fertilisers.
consumption, and developments in fertilisers.