Located a little more than a quarter of a mile from Preston Mill, Phantassie Doocot dates back to the 16th century.
A fascinating beehive-shaped structure, it was built to hold around 500 birds. The walls are thick and circular, about four feet deep at the bottom, and taper off into a horseshoe shape at the top. This creates a sloped roof that gives the birds a lovely southern exposure. You can see similar architectural features in the Colombiers in southern France, where the walls rise above the roof to shield against the strong mistral winds. This hints that the doocot might have been built by a Scot who had some knowledge of that area or was influenced by someone who did.
Originally, Phantassie Doocot provided a safe space for pigeons raised for their meat and eggs. Interestingly, pigeons still nest here today.
