Swan pit
Water-filled enclosure historically used to house swans for meat
A swan pit is a water-filled enclosure where swans were fattened and eventually killed for human consumption.
01History
From the medieval period swans were kept in ponds and were a source of income and made acceptable gifts. Selected wild cygnets had their wings clipped and bills cut into a distinctive pattern bearing the owner's mark.
An example of a swan pit can be found within the grounds of the Great Hospital, Norwich. The Grade II listed tidal pool was built in the 18th century and is fed with water from the adjacent River Wensum.
Sources and credits
This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Swan pit”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.
Images, from Wikimedia Commons:
- Swan Pit Norwich.JPG by Northmetpit, Public domain
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