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DoocotsofEastLothianATopograhicalstudy

BasedonasurveyreportpresentedbyMrJosephWhitakertotheEastLothianFieldNaturalistsscoietyin1939


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ThegenesisforthisbookwasresearchintothemissinghistoryandlandscapefromtheSiegeofHaddington.Duringmyresearch,Ireadareportonthestateofthehistoricdoocots"Dovecots"ofEastLothian.ThereportwasintheformofasurveyfortheEastLothianAntiquarianandFieldHistoriansSocietybyaMrJosephWhitaker,whowasawell-knownNaturalisttothesociety.ItisalsoananalysisofhowtherighttoroamwithinScottishlawisinteractingwithlandownership.Thesurveygavethestateofeach16th,17thand18th-centurydoocotwithinEastLothianatthatpointintimein1937.UsingMrWhitaker'ssurveyisajumping-offpoint,Iexaminedhistoricalrecordsforfurtherupdatesonthedoocots,infindingthattherewasnofollow-upsurvey,Ibegantowonderwhy?Wasitduetothefact,thatasarelativelyunimportanthistoricalfeature,thatthedoocotswere,toodaytodayhumdrumtobeimportantenoughforhistoricalpreservation?Inreadingthisreport,IfeltadeepunderstandingforMrWhitaker'swork,forasanartist,Ifeelthatthelessdramaticandeye-catchinghistoricalbuildingsandlandscapearebeinglefttorotorarebeingreplaced.Inlinewithmymissinghistorywork,Iundertookthisprojecttophotographatopographicalanalysisofthebuildingslistedinthesurveytoseehowthesebuildingshadcopedsince1937.



AmisfieldTowerCapacity1100pigeonsTheenesting-placesarebeing16inchesdeep,whiletheentranceholesareeightincheshighandsixincheswide.

Nowunderthecareofalocalcharity,thedoocotisusedforstorageofmaterials.Thehopetoclearitandwithfunding,rebuildthedoocotintoaviewingareaatthetop.



AthelstanefordLecternCapacity600pigeons

Partofthecotefelldownin1920andatthetimeofwritingin1937,itwasin"atotteringstate"

Itwasrescuedinthe1970sanditnowhousesasmallmuseumdedicatedtotheSt.AndrewsCross.

Thenestingspaces,aretwelveincheslong,andnineincheshigh.

Rebuiltandopenedin1996,thisdoocot,nowrestingattheveryedgeofthegraveyardisnowpartoftheSaltiretrail.IthousesasmallaudiovisualdisplaytellingthetaleoftheSaltireanditspartinScottishhistory.



Belton(Dunbar).LecternCapacity687/560pigeons(doublechamber)

Thegroundplanshowsthatoriginallythebuildingwastwo-chambered.Thefirstchamberwasalreadyrepurposedby1937andtheothercontains560nests,butifallowancebemadeforanumberthathavebeenremovedfromthesouthwallofthesecondchamber,therewouldbetotalaccommodationfor687nests.Replicatedoverthetwochamberstheoriginalcapacitywouldbe1374nesting-places.

NowstandswithintheareaofDairycottage.



Bielside(Dunbar).TowerCapacity513pigeons

Thoughthiscotenolongerexists,havingbeenpulleddowninthesummerof1931,



Chesterhall(DunbarTowerCapacityunknown

Atowerstructurewithaslatedroofwhichslopedonfoursides,stading20feetby14feetand19andahalffeethigh

Partofsetofslopedroofbuildings,thefarmhouseshavebeenlefttofallintoaruinousstate.Thedoocotwastorndownaround1950.



Crocegate(Haddington).LecternCapacityunknown.

Thiscotestandsinthemidstofalargegarden,belongingtoCrocegateHouse,thedoocotnolongerservesitsoriginalpurpose,

ItsitsfacingtheButts,thereisasquarelecterntypedovecot;itis121/2ftsquarewithafrontwall13fthighandabackwall23fthigh.



FriarsCroftLecternCapacity250pigeons

Anoddlyshapeddopocot,sittingatthewestendofDunbar.ItisallthatremainsofabuildingbelongingtotheRedorTrinityFriars.Thedooctsitsatthecrossingofthechoirandnave.Thenestsarenininchessquare.

Itnowsitsonasmallgreen,surroundedbyhousesandsupermarkets.Itappearsingoodconditionbutisnotinuseinanyform.



Crocegate(Haddington).LecternCapacityunknown.

Thiscotestandsinthemidstofalargegarden,belongingtoCrocegateHouse,thedoocotnolongerservesitsoriginalpurpose,



Haddington.TowerCapacity579pigeons

Inthenorth-eastcornerofLadyKitty'sGardenatHaddington,oppositeNungateBridgeandbardbySt.Mary'sChurchandtheriverTyne,standsacirculartower,massivelybuiltandwithbattlementedtop.Theupperportionisacotecontaining579nests,eachofwhichis13incheslong.



|ThebuildingwasrestoredbytheHamiltonfamilyin1975asamemorialtothelateDuke,atwhichtimethetopstoreyofthebuildingwasremoved.TheGardensNowadays,thisupperpartofthestructurehasbeenremoved.itiscalledtheapplehouse,andisusedforgardeneventsandasasmallweddingvenue.

HamiltonHouse(Haddington).LecternCapacityunknown.

TheAppleHouse,datesfromthe17thcenturyorearly18thcenturyandwasformerlyatwo-storeybuildingwithapigeonloftincorporatedintotheupperstorey.



HeughTowerCapacity532pigeons

Thistowerdoocothaswallwhicharethreefeetthickandstandsapproximatly25feethigh.Birdsenteredthroughoneof16entranceholes.Theynested532birdsinholes,13inchesdeepand9andahalfincheshigh.

SittinginafieldtotheEastsideofNorthBerwickLawandattheedgeofHeughFarm,thisdoocotisnotlongerinuse.



Inglehold(orAbbey)LecternCapacity1320pigeons

ThisdoocotorigionallysatwithinthegroundsoftheAbbey,thewallsarethreefeet10inchesthick.Theentranceholdextendedacrosstheroofandnumbered12,thereare1320roostingspaces.

Thisdoocotnowsitswedgedinasmallgreenspacebetweentwohousingschemesandappearstobeunattended.



KilspindieLecternCapacity818pigeons

ThisdoocotsispartoftheKilspindiegardenonthenorthsideofmarketstreet.Thestructureis15andahalffeetby18feetandstands18feethigh,withaslopedroof.Thisdoocotiswellpreserved.

Thisdoocotwasdemolishedin1955,asmallstonemarkerhasbeenplacedontherearwalloftheTescostoretomarktheroughpositionofthedoocot.



LodgeLecternCapacity134pigeons

in1939thissmalldoocot,whichwasaccordingtoMrWhitaker,quiteunique,wasalmostcomplete,theonlychangebeinganewerslatedroofonthedoocot.Itwoudlhaveroosted134birdinperches13incheslongand7incheshigh.

Thisdoocotremainsinplace,althoughunused,itappearsingoodcondition.



Luffness.BeehiveCapacity500pigeons

Thissixteenthcenturycotehasamostcharmingsite.ItstandsinthegroundsofLuffnessHouse,ItmuchresemblesthecoteatDirleton,thoughitsdimensionsaresmaller.Circularinshape,Thenestingplaces,numbering500,are14incheslongand7!incheshigh.

StillsittingonthegroundsofLuffnesshouse,whichisnowclosedtothepublic,behindtwofenceswithawarningthattrespasserswouldbeprosecutedsoIwasunabletoverifythestateofthedoocotasIwasnotgivenpermissiontovisitandphotographit.



NorthfieldPrestonpans).BeehiveCapacity600pigeons

Acirculardoocotoflargeproportions,theroundstructurehaswallthreefeetthickandaconeroofcoveredinstone.Thedoocotscircumferanceis60feetwhenmeasuredfourfeetfromtheground.Thenestsarearrangedroundthewalls,andare9inchessquareand12inchesdeep.



PrestonMains.TowerCapacity512pigeons

Apeculiarityofthishighandstronglybuiltcoteisthatitisconjoinedwithtwosingle-roomcottages,oneoneachside.Thestructuremeasures20feetsquare.Thenestare10andahalfinchesdeep,10andahalfincheshighandnineincheswide.

Thisdoocothasnowbeenrepaired,andrepurposedaspartoftheBattleofPrestonpanshistoricalsocietyandhasbecomeasmallmuseumdedicatedtoCol.Gardinerwholovedthereatthetimeofthebattle.



PrestonTower.LecternCapcity1000pigeons

SituatedatthefarendofamarketgardenandaboutahundredyardsfromPrestonTower,thisseventeenthcenturycoteissquare-shaped,16feet6incheseachway,andatthebackis30feethigh.Atthetopoftheroofarethreestoneballsbywayofdecorativeeffect.Thestone-builtnestsareonefootdeep,twelveincheshighandnineincheswide.

Todaythedoocothasanumberofferalbirdsroostinginit.Itstandsinalocalpark/gardenandisunattended.



Prestonpans(BreweryCotes).LecternCapacityunknown

Atthepointofthe1937surveyIntheyardofabreweryatPrestonpansandclosetotheFirthofForthstandtwocotes,similarinshapeandsize,andonly30yardsapart.Bothareveryold,andithasbeensuggestedthattheymayhavebelongedtotheabbeysofHolyroodandNewbattle,whichheldlandsinthisdistrict.

.

Thesedoocotsnolongerstandatthislocation.Thereisnosignofremamentsofeitherstructure



Redhouse.LecternCapacity798pigeons

Builtofredsandstone,itadjoinstheruinedmansionofRedhouseThedovecotwasprobablyerectedatthesametimeasthetoweratthislocation.Thecotehastwocompartmentsdividedbyawallwithadoorinit.Eachsectionhas399nestingplaces,makingatotalof798nestingspaces.

Apartfromahistoricscotlandplaque,thisdoocotappearsunattended.



Saltcoats.LecternCapacity288pigeons

Standsclosetotheruinedcastleandisprobablyasold.Itismuchdecayed,roofless,andminusthenorthwall.Thecoteisrectangular,measuring17feetfromnorthtosouthand15feetfromeasttowest.

Thisstructureisnownolongerrecognisable.



Tranent(ChurchWall).LecternCapacitycirca2000

Standingjustoutsidethewallofthechurchyard,thiscoteisaconspicuouslandmark.Thebackwallis30feethighasagainst20feet-themeasurementofthefrontwall.Thecrow-steppedgablesdisplaycracks,probablyduetoundermining.Thenumberofnestsprobablyisintheregionof2000.Thenestsareaboutafootdeepandnineinchessquare.

Thisstructurehasfallenintofurtherdisrepairandnowhastreesandplantsgrowingthroughit.


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