Pigeon Towers: The Rise And Fall Of A 17th-Century Status Symbol

image credit: Varun Shiv Kapur

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the richest people across the United Kingdom and France built beautiful towers, just for pigeons. Known as dovecotes, pigeonniers, doocots, or colombiers, these buildings served as apartment blocks for hundreds of pigeons who were waiting to be eaten by members of the nobility.

Early 20th-century pigeon expert Arthur Cooke estimated that by the 1650s, there were 26,000 dovecotes in England alone. Though many dovecotes had similar designs, each had its own flair.