The Kinwarton Dovecote, just outside Alcester, is one of only a handful of circular dovecots in the United Kingdom and it is remarkably well-preserved considering that it dates from the 14th century.
A dovecote is a building constructed specifically to house pigeons and doves and these structures held a special significance during medieval and Tudor times.
![The Kinwarton Dovecote is one of only a handful of circular dovecotes in the United Kingdom. It dates back to the 14th century and it is still home to doves. (Photo: Colin Craig [CC BY-SA 2.0])](https://englandrover.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/kinwarton-dovecote-geograph.jpg)
What to see at the Kinwarton Dovecote
There is not a lot to see at the Kinwarton Dovecote but it is still worth a visit to see such a unique building, which held a special significance during Tudor times.
The circular dovecote has one-metre-thick walls and contains over 580 nesting boxes plus a potence (a rotating pivoted ladder). The building is still home to doves, which gives the visitor the unique opportunity to see a dovecote in use.
Visiting the Kinwarton Dovecote
The dovecote is less than a half-hour walk northeast of Alcester’s town centre and you can drive here in just five minutes. The last section of the road to the dovecote is potholed so take it slowly, particularly if you have a rental car.
Admission to the dovecote is by a £1 donation.
It is a relatively minor tourist attraction and there are not a lot of facilities available (not even public toilets).
Many people combine a visit to the Kinwarton Dovecote with the nearby Coughton Court stately home, and both sites are operated by the National Trust.
It is essentially just a small barn, albeit a unique one, so a visit shouldn’t take much longer than 15 minutes or so.
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