Dovecote

Came across this dovecote on my walk today. According to the words helpfully placed near it, it was built around 300 years ago and wasn't used for housing doves, but pigeons which were an important source of food and many other things over the centuries. There would have been around 800 nestboxes all accessed by a ladder that swung round the inside. A pair of pigeons could produce two offspring up to 10 times a year and they could be eaten within weeks. Feathers were used for stuffing pillows and beds and the droppings made good fertiliser and were also a source of saltpetre which was used in making gunpowder.

For the record: 17C with sunny periods but we're in for a few hours of heavy rain tomorrow - at least the gardens and farmers need it...