Dove House
I am able to trace the H I S T O R Y of the house back to the early 1700’s where it is reported that the house was built as a merchant house, housed a W A T C H M A K E R and his family back in 1753 and was also a pub and a hotel at some point in history; The GOATS Head. Many thanks to Ludlow’s very own ‘Historian Mike’ for all the information … Gratitude.
The establishment housed 3 young Ladies at one point back 1939 and It is thought that the House was a brothel at several points through history. Suzanna, Laura and Winifred resided in Dove House for several years. neither one of them has a registered point of work so it can be assumed that they were ‘Solied Doves’ doing what thy needed to o to survive …
The Women … sex workers were know as ‘Soiled Doves’ …
‘The Soiled Doves’ who resided here had a harsh life indeed and barely scraped bye but they were grateful for a pot of hot vegetable soup and a nugget of bread to keep their bellies warm. We will be honoring the W O M E N who worked here every time we gather.
Can you imagine what life was like for some of these Women? hungry Children to feed and needing to keep a roof over your head for safety and warmth … some may chuckle when i mention the word brothel but in reality it was a kin to modern day slavery in many ways. And what about the men who wee condemning these Women when they were brought before a judge to be sentenced and given a fine??? the very men that wee using their services no doubt…. food for thought indeed…
What would you be prepared to do to keep food in your belly and to keep your babies safe? ….. food for thought.
R A V E N Lane, known as ‘Narrow Lane’ back in Medieval times and it was a place for the gentry to gather behind closed doors … many festivals were held in Ludlow so people entering the town for the weekend needed to be entertained with drink and Women.
The C E L L A R of the house is where we host events in the T I N Y space, with its 7.5ft ceilings, old stone sink and a pre V I C T O R I A N copper wash pot for laundry purposes to serve the house and all of its needs.
No doubt some of the S E R V A N T S would have resided in this space; slept and worked down here, but it would only have been warm on wash days when the fire was lit and the C O P P E R pot would boil away.
The temperature is a constant 11 degrees in the summer so ideal for wine but not so good in the W I N T E R months as we are well below ground level and the temperature drops dramatically.
The large oak B E A M that can be seen in the cellar by the staircase, is H U G E to say the least and literally is the foundation for the whole house and may have come from an old boat or ship.
This would also have been the space for the C O A L and was shovelled from the opening above the sink to just under the stairs.
Many people have lived in this H O U S E over time and in more recent years there have been antique dealers, poets and also puppet makers alike.
It’s a very creative and social home and it’s energy is moved one G E N E R A T I O N to the next …
… a W A T C H M A K E R, his Wife and young child lived here back in 1753 along with a jeweler, his Wife and small child. The Children’s S P I R I T S still remain in the house. They are very inquisitive and giggly but are chaperoned by a young L A D Y who is approximately 13 years of age.
Currently the house now houses my T I N Y ethical jewellery shop on the ground floor and then in the attic S P A C E is where I deliver my holistic retreats and Cacao Blessings so the house is well used indeed.
On many occasions my two Grandchildren can be seen playing merrily on the lane and chatting to the constant stream of passers-by.
Any further H I S T O R Y of Dove House would be greatly received and I would love to work with you on this project so please get in touch.