The Primary School Visit

Having hung our huge doves it was time to ask our Primary School children to visit and learn what a dovecote looked like. As there are seventy two children in our school we had to split them up into two groups, even then it was a tight squeeze.

Our new doves

During this past week the children have been writing poems, painting and making clay models of doves. The clay doves will be put into the nesting boxes. The children's art work and poems about doves will be added to our big doves. We will also be adding our own text.

We hope that these big doves will act as a deterrent to the wild  pigeons entering the dovecote to nest!
              

What is the Navbar?

What is the Navbar?

The new dovecote exhibition

1200 doves once roosted in the 15th century dovecote at the Prebendal Manor. The doves were a valuable source of protein for the manor's inhabitants. It is now one of the few remaining late medieval dovecotes in the area.

Originally the dovecote probably had a thatched roof, however in the 18th century it was re roofed with a saddle back Collyweston slate roof.

In the 19th century it was used as a work shop, and to provide more light a window was inserted into the west wall. A iron stove to provide heat was also built into the dovecote.

When we bought the manor in 1968 the dovecote was so filthy that we did not know that it had a nice brick floor.


Working with our local Nassington primary school we are now about to embark on an exciting new project designing a new exhibition to be displayed in the dovecote. The children will be producing some history, paintings and sculptures. These will go on display when the manor opens to the public in late April.
We have hung four large doves to display  the text and paintings. We rather hope that these large painted doves will deter the wild pigeons from entering and making a mess.


www.prebendal-manor.co.uk