Middle Littleton Tithe Barn | |
---|---|
General information | |
Type | Tithe Barn |
Address | Middle Littleton, Evesham, Worcestershire |
Country | England |
Coordinates | 52°07′19″N1°53′05″W / 52.12185°N 1.88473°W |
Construction started | 12th or 13th century |
Owner | National Trust |
Height | 40 feet (12 m) |
Dimensions | |
Other dimensions | 130 feet (40 m) long, 42 feet (13 m) wide |
Designations | Grade I listed |
Website | |
www |
Middle Littleton Tythe Barn, also known as Middle Littleton Tithe Barn, is a grade I listed 13th or 14th-century tithe barn in the village of Middle Littleton, near Evesham in Worcestershire. It is one of the largest and most notable tithe barns in England. [1] The barn is constructed of a mixture of Blue Lias and Cotswold stones, with a stone tile roof. [2] It was originally built for Evesham Abbey, which was the third largest abbey in England. [2] It is now owned and operated by the National Trust.
There is some uncertainty about when the barn was built. The National Trust describes it as 13th-century, whereas English Heritage describe it as 14th-century [1] [2] The discrepancy may be the result of a radiocarbon date of around 1250 conflicting with evidence that the barn was built in 1376 by Abbot John Ombersley of Evesham Abbey. [3]
The barn was built to hold tithes collected for Evesham Abbey, which was the third largest abbey in England before the Dissolution of the Monasteries. The size of the barn is an indication of the importance of the abbey at this time. [4] Also remaining from the Benedictine Evesham Abbey are two churches, a bell tower, a cloister arch and the Almonry.
The barn is constructed of Blue lias stone with Cotswold stone dressings. It has a triple purlin roof which is tiled in stone. The building has had several modifications; a pair of gables on each side of the building were destroyed during the Victorian period and additions made to both sides. Smaller gables with ornate clover-leaf finials and many buttresses remain. [2]
The barn was granted Grade I listed status on 30 July 1959. [2]
The barn is owned by the National Trust and is open to the public.
A tithe barn was a type of barn used in much of northern Europe in the Middle Ages for storing rents and tithes. Farmers were required to give one-tenth of their produce to the established church. Tithe barns were usually associated with the village church or rectory, and independent farmers took their tithes there. The village priests did not have to pay tithes—the purpose of the tithe being their support. Some operated their own farms anyway. The former church property has sometimes been converted to village greens.
Evesham Abbey was founded by Saint Egwin at Evesham in Worcestershire, England between 700 and 710 following an alleged vision of the Virgin Mary by a swineherd by the name of Eof.
Bredon is a village and civil parish in Wychavon district at the southern edge of Worcestershire in England. It lies on the banks of the River Avon on the lower slopes of Bredon Hill.
The Somerset Rural Life Museum is situated in Glastonbury, Somerset, UK. It is a museum of the social and agricultural history of Somerset, housed in buildings surrounding a 14th-century barn once belonging to Glastonbury Abbey.
Great Coxwell Barn is a Medieval tithe barn at Great Coxwell, Oxfordshire, England. It is on the northern edge of the village of Great Coxwell, which is about 9 miles (14 km) northeast of Swindon in neighbouring Wiltshire.
Calcot Manor is a historic building in Calcot, three and a half miles west of Tetbury on A 4135 in Gloucestershire, England, near the junction of roads A46 and A4135. The original building was established in approximately 1300 AD by Henry of Kingswood as a tithe barn annex of Kingswood Abbey. The estate was expanded to include a 16th-century manor house and other buildings. Structures added from the Late Middle Ages to the mid-17th century include a chapel, granary, stables and other buildings. The buildings are all constructed from limestone; which are locally quarried stones that are typically flat and easily stacked for drystone wall purposes.
Launton is a village and civil parish on the eastern outskirts of Bicester, Oxfordshire, England. The 2011 Census recorded the parish's population as 1,204.
Bretforton is a rural village in Worcestershire, England, 4.4 miles (7.1 km) east of Evesham, in the Vale of Evesham. It is the largest farming village near Evesham. At the 2001 census, Bretforton had a population of 1,023 in 428 households. The area of the parish is 2.83 square miles.
West Pennard Court Barn is a late 14th or early 15th century tithe barn which was built for Glastonbury Abbey. The Grade I listed building is between West Pennard and West Bradley in the English county of Somerset.
The Tithe Barn at Cumhill Farm in Pilton, Somerset, England, was built in the 14th century as a tithe barn to hold produce for Glastonbury Abbey. It is a Grade I listed building and Scheduled Ancient Monument.
North and Middle Littleton is a civil parish located in the Wychavon district of Worcestershire, England. The parish comprises the villages of North Littleton and Middle Littleton, and is located near the larger settlement of South Littleton. It is bounded by the River Avon to the west, and Buckle Street to the east. At the 2001 census it had a population of 906.
The Tithe Barn in Maidstone, Kent, is a large two-storey stone building on the east side of Mill Street. It was constructed in the 14th century as a tithe barn for the nearby Archbishop's Palace and was later used as the palace's stables. Construction is attributed to Archbishop Courtenay, who died in 1396. The barn is a Grade I listed building and a scheduled monument. It is home to the Tyrwhitt-Drake Museum of Carriages.
Boxley Abbey Barn is a large medieval barn in Sandling near Maidstone in Kent, England.
Bradford-on-Avon Tithe Barn is a Grade I listed barn in Pound Lane, Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire, England. It was part of a medieval grange belonging to Shaftesbury Abbey and was built in the early 14th century, with a granary dated to about 1400. It is owned and protected by English Heritage and managed by the Bradford on Avon Preservation Trust.
Ashleworth Tithe Barn is a large 15th-century tithe barn located at Ashleworth, Gloucestershire, England, standing close to the River Severn. It is a Grade II* listed building, and has been scheduled as an ancient monument. It is close to, and associated with Ashleworth Court and the local Anglican church.
Bredon Barn is a large 14th-century threshing barn located at Bredon, Worcestershire, England, standing close to the River Avon.
The Almonry Museum and Tourist Information Centre is a museum in Evesham in Worcestershire, England. It is also referred to as The Almonry Museum and just The Almonry. It is governed by Evesham Town Council. The focus of the museum is on the history of the town and Vale of Evesham. The museum derives its name from the original use of the building as the almonry of the 14th-century Evesham Abbey The museum opened within this building in 1957.
Ashleworth Court is a grade I listed house close to the River Severn in Ashleworth, Gloucestershire, England.
Mells Village Hall in Mells, Somerset, England was built in the 14th century as a tithe barn and now serves as the village hall. It is a Grade II* listed building.
Place Farm is a complex of medieval buildings in the village of Tisbury, Wiltshire, England. They originally formed a grange of Shaftesbury Abbey. The farmhouse, the inner and outer gatehouses and the barn, reputedly the largest in England, are all Grade I listed buildings.