Manorbier Dovecote stands in the village of Manorbier, Pembrokeshire, Wales. It is within the Manorbier Castle estate, about 100m north-west of the castle. Dating from the 12th or 13th centuries, the dovecote is a Grade II* listed building and a scheduled monument.
History The keeping and breeding of doves or pigeons in Britain dates back to the Norman Conquest. The birds provided sources of food through their meat and eggs; their feathers were used for the decoration of clothing, and for domestic purposes such as bedding; and their droppings were used as a fertilizer. The keeping of birds was a high-status activity, and regulated by law; consequently dovecotes are generally attached to large estates, either manorial or ecclesiastical. Once prevalent throughout Britain, in the 17th century there reportedly 25,000 in England alone, many have decayed or been demolished in the modern period.
The Manorbier Dovecote stands about 100m north-west of the castle. Its build date is uncertain. The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales (RCAHMW) suggests the 12th or 13th centuries. Cadw also posits a medieval construction period, but noting similarities with the dovecote at Angle, considers that Manorbier could also be of the 15th century. The dovecote was partially repaired in the 19th century and was fully restored in the 21st.
Architecture and description The dovecote is about 5m in height and circular with a domed roof. Internally there are twelve rows of nesting boxes, with accommodation for about 240 birds. In their Pembrokeshire volume in the Buildings of Wales series, Thomas Lloyd, Julian Orbach and Robert Scourfield describe it as a, "fine, medieval circular dovecote with domical cobelled roof". Cadw considers it the best remaining of its type in South Wales. The Manorbier dovecote is a Grade II* listed building and a Scheduled monument.
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External links RCAHMW photographic survey