A swan pit is a water-filled

enclosure Enclosure or inclosure is a term, used in English landownership, that refers to the appropriation of "waste" or "common land", enclosing it, and by doing so depriving commoners of their traditional rights of access and usage. Agreements to enc ...

where

swan Swans are birds of the genus ''Cygnus'' within the family Anatidae. The swans' closest relatives include the goose, geese and ducks. Swans are grouped with the closely related geese in the subfamily Anserinae where they form the tribe (biology) ...

s were fattened and eventually killed for human consumption. Swan Pit Norwich

History

From the

medieval period In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with the fall of the West ...

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 Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of the county of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. It lies by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. The population of the Norwich ...

. The

Grade II listed In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, H ...

British listed buildings
Retrieved 19 November 2010 tidal pool was built in the 18th century and is fed with water from the adjacent

River Wensum The River Wensum is a chalk river in Norfolk, England, Norfolk, England and a tributary of the River Yare, despite being the larger of the two rivers. The river is a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest and Special Area of Conservatio ...

References

External links

The Great Hospital, Norwich. Swan Pit photo
Swans Buildings and structures used to confine animals Norwich {{animal-rights-stub