English: 17th century dovecote In England in the 16th and 17th century having a dovecote became a status symbol. Octagon shaped ones like this one became very popular in the West Midlands in the 17th and 18th century, many examples survive and they were sometimes used as decorative features for large houses. There were however complaints from local people saying that the doves and pigeons ate too much grain from the crops in the local fields.