A dovecote, dovecot or doocot (Scottish) is the term used for the structure built to house pigeons or doves. These are buildings of historical interest and much has been written about them. They are sometimes round, sometimes square or multi-sided, or even beehive shaped, generally containing pigeon holes for the birds to nest in, and are either free-standing or attached to another building, a barn, for instance. The dovecote seen in this photo is likely the square-shaped building on the left with the cupola, rather than it’s immediate neighbor.

The handwriting on the back of this one was a bit tricky to decipher. Other possibilities were tried, but thanks go to my hubby for getting the best guess on that last part which appears to be Bucklebury. The village and civil parish of Bucklebury is located in West Berkshire near Newbury and is now well-known for it’s connection to the Middleton family and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (William and Kate, and can’t forget to mention Prince George.) There is another area listed on the map as Bucklebury, about 25 miles east of the first-mentioned village, and located near Bracknell. So, exactly where this photo was taken is a mystery. Perhaps someone will recognize what manor home these buildings belong to, if they are (hopefully!) still standing. The estimated date of the photo is from the 1910s – 1920s.

Old photo, sepia tones, white border. Back shows “.Velox” photographic paper. Circa 1910s – 1920s.    Size:  About 4 and 1/2 x 2 and 3/4.”

Price:  $15.00

Sources:  Dovecote. n.d. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dovecote (accessed February 6, 2015).

Bucklebury. n.d. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bucklebury (accessed February 7, 2015).