Summary

Culver Hole is a curiously constructed dovecot in a cave on the W. side of Port Eynon Point. The high narrow entrance to the cave is blocked by a massive stone wall of limestone which rises to a height of about 19m. Along the height of the wall there are two doorways, one above the other and two circular windows. The internal face of the wall is honeycombed with irregular tiers of square nesting boxes.

Identification Images (1)

Most Recent Monitoring

None Recorded

Monument Types

Description

"CULVER HOLE, a curiously constructed dovecote in a cave on the W. side of Port Eynon Point. The high narrow entrance to the cave, which is in a tide flooded cleft in the rocks, is blocked by a massive stone wall of mortared lime-stone rubble, about 19m high though now ruined towards the top. Its width varies between 1.5m and 5m according to the position of the natural rock sides of the cleft; its thickness is 3.25m at the base but this is reduced internally in four stages to 60cm at the top. Under the base of the wall a small opening between the narrowing rock walls (at present below the beach level) has been allowed for drainage. The cave extends inwards for 14.5m at the base but narrows to 6m at a height of 7m. At 4m above the beach is a doorway 1.7m tall, with a segmental arched head, giving access to the lower of four internal platforms. From this a rough stone stair rises eastwards to a second stage, lit by a similar opening (at 7.3m above the beach) 1.25m tall with a sloping internal sill. From the second platform there is an ill-defined crossing to a small N.E. extension of the cave, and a second stairway again rising eastward to a third stage which is lit by a circular window 1m in diameter at a height of 9.5m above the beach. From the third platform a flight of steps on the W. terminates against the rock face. At a height of 14.3m above the beach is another circular window, but without a platform; and finally at 17m are the remains of a narrow fourth stage which has a narrow rectangular opening to the exterior. The internal face of the wall at all stages is honeycombed with irregular tiers of square nesting boxes, and these are found also on both reveals of the two lower rectangular openings" (R.C.A.H.M., 362). There is some confusion as to whether the earliest accounts available refer to the structure of Culver Hole or to some other more traditionally built 'castle', the location of which is now unknown. A structure is referred to as ""The castle of Port Eynon" in a lawsuit of 1396: "The Vill of Port Eynon, where there is a castle, 1 1/2 knight fee" (Arch camb., 340). In 1429 a Minister's account refers to : "..... the dovecote in the clyve" at Pennard, said to be "totally ruined and laid waste" (L. Daives, quoted in R.C.A.H.M., 362). John Lucas, whose family had built the Salt House (the remains of which survive at
SS 46948463) is said to have rebuilt and repaired the stronghold called Kulverd Hall (sometime after 1754), which is almost certainly Culver Hole - referred to as Kulver Hall or The Pigeon House from its earliest time (Arch Camb., 342). The structure is also mentioned by Carlisle as a Pigeon House (Carlisle: Porth Einion)

2003/4 survey
Facing SW below Port Eynon Point a large sea cave entrance has been blocked by a wall built to the cave roof. Built of mortared limestone, the massive wall is c19m high, now ruined near the top, and varying from 5m-1.5m wide according to the cave sides. It is 3.25m thick at the base, reducing internally in 4 stages to 0.6m at the top. At present there are three openings, with a further two apparent in the ruined top section and another now below beach level allowing drainage. The 1st arched opening is 4m above beach level access via a rope climb. The opening is 1.7m tall, giving access to the lower of 4 internal platforms built into the inner face of the wall. A narrow rough stone staircase runs up E to the 2nd stage, also with an arched opening 7.3m above beach level, 1.25m tall and with a sloping internal sill. The staircase continues to the 3rd stage, lit by a circular opening 1m in diameter, 9.5m above the beach. The remains if a staircase runs W, terminating against the cave side roughly level with the top of the circular opening. Higher up the all with no platform is another circular opening 14.3m above beach level. At 17m up are the remains of a 4th platform below the ruined openings, access to this level was [presumably by more temporary means such as ladder or rope. The internal wall face is honeycombed with around 30 tiers of rectangular nesting boxes, also built into the sides of the arched openings. The cave itself is a large open cavern extending inwards for 14.5m at the base with a floor of sea washed boulders, no obvious access to the cave floor. From the 2nmd platform a narrow ridge leads to a wide and high passage c20m long ending in a chamber, both with clay floors, polluted by pigeon droppings.

The impressive wall has attracted many stories as to its history, including the use of the cave as a castle and a smugglers stronghold. However, as the nesting boxes appear integral to the structure it seems it was designed as a pigeon house from the outset, there is no evidence to suggest any of the openings had doors and there is no obvious evidence of human occupation or provision for occupation inside. 'Culver' is an old alternative word for pigeon and Carlisle in 1811 mentions is as traditionally being a pigeon house. There is no definite date for its construction, Tucker has suggested a C13th - C14th, Morris & Grenfell reckon to a C15th date, a ministers account of 1429 refers to the ruins of "the dovecote in the clyve" located at Pennard. The eggs and young birds would have provided a valuable and constant source of fresh food throughout the medieval and post medieval periods, often the preserve of religious foundations or local lords. There is no evidence of a religious foundation nearby, but a lawsuit of 1396 does refer to 'The castle of Port Eynon', often linked to this dovecote. The site of the castle is unknown but it would seem reasonable to assume a dovecote on this scale would have been built and used by the local lord. There is a story that 'Kulverd Hall' was rebuilt and fortified in the C18th by John Lucas, an apparently notorious smuggler living in his nearby fortified mansion of Salt House, since proved to be a largely fictitious account. The cave behind the wall has also been investigated but unrecorded. Edmunds records the story that a mammoths skull as unearthed but then reburied as it proved too large to remove. Allen and Rutter claimed the cave was of no paleontological importance in 1944. In 1989 Davies recovered a small fragment of antler from an alcove to the west of the upper chamber. The sediment of the passage and chamber appears disturbed.

References

Designations

Other Statuses and References

Associated Events

Associated Finds

None Recorded

Related Records

None Recorded