What's this building for?

[purplepoppy]

This is Culver Hole, something built into the rocks on the Gower, Wales. The architecture inside suggests a medieval dovecot, a common feature found near castles. But no castle has ever been found nearby with the nearest 18 miles away.

Accessibly is difficult and not for the faint-hearted, slippery rocks, a narrow crumbling path, steep inclines, and it's only accessible when the tide is low and weather favourable.

No one knows who built it, when, or why. People point out it would have been a huge undertaking to build something like this just to keep doves, and the location makes no sense. Others point to smugglers and pirates, but it's doubtful they'd have the resources to build it.

So, solve the mystery for us? Based on the photos What is it?

My theory is some type of religious building built by a group seeking isolation and perhaps safety, but they didn't survive.

[andreasderjuengere]

I think that it's not longer ''for''.

So its remaining purpose is just to be there?

As this is located in Wales, and I have an impression of people there, here's my educated guess:

Once upon a time there must have been a local young lady with more imagination and wits than her surrounding could bear.

So it crossed her mind that it could be funny to set up a site so strange and wondrous that it would be beyond a visitor's comprehension.

She then manipulated local suitors - and there must have been a remarkable number of them - to prove their virtues and skills to make an impression on her.

By building something that the world had not seen or needed yet.

[AviatorTom]

It's interesting that there's a doorway at the bottom, a rectangular window in the middle and a rounded window at the top.

The Dovecot explanation makes sense. The keepers of the birds, most likely government employees, would enter through the door, live on a level in the middle, and keep carrier pigeons in the top, where they could come and go, carrying messages to and from people. Its convenient location near Port Eynon was carefully chosen for efficiency, range and safety.

In other words, it's the first Welsh Post System. 😏

[purplepoppy]

Possible. We know the Romans used carrier pigeons and it's in a convenient location with only a short flight across the channel to England.

[JennaWillow]

My guess is something like a monastery - isolated, probably inaccessible half the day when the rising tide blocks it off, had dovecotes for raising pigeons which was a very castle/monastery thing to do, and the masonry looks professional rather than cobbled together like you would expect if it was built by pirates

[Crimsyjo]

My first thought was some kind of defense. Maybe cannons or arrows through the openings to attack invaders approaching by sea.

I'm not a historian tho. Maybe it was an idea began then abandoned when they realised accessibility was going yo be a big factor.

[Chazmatazz269]

Is it a protected area now, or can any goofball move in? If it no longer serves the purpose for which it was built, it can be whatever the next owner or resident wants it to be. In the US southwest, there are similar structures built into the land, but the experts seem to be pretty confident about who built them and why. Similarly very difficult to access, deliberately to mitigate attempts by marauders. The area is “protected” but unguarded. I wouldn’t mind setting up a camp and spending a weekend.

[exitseven]

It looks like it might have been a public bathroom.

[Jersey2]

My theory: A guy wanted to build a castle nearby and built this first in preparation for it. His wife always hated that area. He died though unexpectedly and she stopped the project and stayed in their current home near family.

[robocop666]

ask the martians as they are responsible for ancient history

[Just_Ken]

Probably religious. Monks of the early catholic church.

[MerakSahibi]

The most accurate approach is to determine when it was built. From there, I'd make a hypothesis based on the conditions of that period.

[canamlusciouslad73]

Hopefully where Trump and his Cabinet will be imprisoned !!!

[Enginn]

Maybe somewhere to escape and hide for kings. A secret hideout

[Agape93]

Probably a religious site

[Shiprex]

Fishery folk who were swallowed by the sea

[Xawyx-2]

Maybe it's some sort of temple.

[FrodoSkywalker007]

It's where Gandalf lives

[MereAnarchy]

The how country is follies.

[Paige2006]

Don't know