Buckton Dovecote

Kinking off the A1 at Buckton are a handful of cottages and a delightful dovecote!

Who doesn't love a dovecote if you're south of the border and a doocot if you're north.

We're kind of hovering over both in North Northumberland...maybe a dovedoocot!

Buckton was once the site of a medieval village where its people were alive and well in 1560 but by the 18th century, folk had gone elsewhere! Maybe the doves did too!

Built in medieval times, this dovecote is now Grade II listed and, in 2006 was a bit of a tumbledown affair, with half its walls raised to the ground. However, in 2016 it was given some love from the dove from above and went through a minor restoration project to protect it from the elements and further degradation.

This image from Lisa Jarvis shows it in all its tumbledown glory!

It sits on a slight slope in a field, under the shaded boughs of a grand old horse chestnut with enviable views to Holy Island and beyond.

Once seen, it can be noticed as you amble along the A1. Funny how things we've passed forever have been invisible until you know where they are!

You were seen as a bit posh if you had a dovecote. They were a symbol of status and high standing. This one is tun bellied. In Scotland, just fifteen miles up the way, this style is known as the nicer sounding Beehive Doocot. Tun Bellied sounds like a man who's had too many pints!

It's nearly 4 meters at its widest point, and it has a door on the side to the south. It stands around 4 meters high and has around 12 to 13 rows of nesting holes which means it could house up to 250 doves.

It's flat on the top and is smaller than other versions I've seen, so maybe the people who owned this one were just half posh eh?

You can't get up close to this one, but you can easily see it from the A1 or when you're toddling along the country lanes.

It's old and the doves have flown, but it's another delectable dovecote to tick off your list!