Tithe Barn, Pilton
Encyclopedia
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
.
The barn, of coursed and squared rubble, was originally built in the 14th and 15th centuries to hold the produce from farms in the area who paid one tenth of their produce to Glastonbury Abbey as the landowner. It is one of four surviving monastic barns built by the Abbey.
, organiser of the Glastonbury Festival, bought it in 1995, and presented the barn to the Pilton Barn Trust.
The project was made possible with a grant of £400,000 from English Heritage
. The Glastonbury festival
contributed a further £100,000.
A new roof, replicating the original, using a combination of traditional carpentry techniques and modern technology, has been built, by Peter McCurdy using skills used when recreating the Globe theatre
in London
, from English oak which came from Northumberland.The roof frame consists of cruck
construction which sit high in the walls with an arcade plate then carrying the apex of the roof above.
McCurdy was also assisted by a local team run by Jon Maine who designed and erected the complex scaffolding both internally and externally and then using 8000 36" long oak hand split ( riven )battens tiled the roof using over 30,000 hand made plain tiles.
In addition to the new roof a new floor was laid, including a 3 metres (10 ft) wide strip in Blue Lias
Stone and 44 cubic meters of lime concrete used to fill the expanses either side. It is said to be the largest expanse of lime concrete flooring anywhere in Europe
.
The restoration was nominated for the annual Wood Awards
, which recognise and encourage outstanding design, craftmanship and installation in joinery and structures in wood. It was awarded the prize as the Best Use of British Timber Award and Structural Timber Award in 2005. It also received the Royal Institute of British Architects
Town and Country Design Award in the same year.
It was officially opened on Friday 1 April, 2005 by local historian Sir John Keegan
and is now used for public events such as medieval fairs and dances, as well as working as a real farm building for the rest of the time.
Pilton, Somerset
Pilton is a village and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated on the A361 road in the Mendip district, 3 miles south-west of Shepton Mallet and 6 miles east of Glastonbury. The village has a population of 935...
, England was built in the 14th century as a tithe barn
Tithe barn
A tithe barn was a type of barn used in much of northern Europe in the Middle Ages for storing the tithes - a tenth of the farm's produce which had to be given to the church....
to hold produce for Glastonbury Abbey
Glastonbury Abbey
Glastonbury Abbey was a monastery in Glastonbury, Somerset, England. The ruins are now a grade I listed building, and a Scheduled Ancient Monument and are open as a visitor attraction....
. It is a Grade I listed building and Scheduled Ancient Monument
Scheduled Ancient Monument
In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a 'nationally important' archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorized change. The various pieces of legislation used for legally protecting heritage assets from damage and destruction are grouped under the term...
.
The barn, of coursed and squared rubble, was originally built in the 14th and 15th centuries to hold the produce from farms in the area who paid one tenth of their produce to Glastonbury Abbey as the landowner. It is one of four surviving monastic barns built by the Abbey.
Restoration
On 23 June 1963 lightning set fire to the thatched roof and it remained a wreck until Michael EavisMichael Eavis
Athelstan Joseph Michael Eavis, CBE , is an English dairy farmer and the founder of the Glastonbury Festival, which takes place on his farm.-Personal life:...
, organiser of the Glastonbury Festival, bought it in 1995, and presented the barn to the Pilton Barn Trust.
The project was made possible with a grant of £400,000 from English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
. The Glastonbury festival
Glastonbury Festival
The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, commonly abbreviated to Glastonbury or even Glasto, is a performing arts festival that takes place near Pilton, Somerset, England, best known for its contemporary music, but also for dance, comedy, theatre, circus, cabaret and other arts.The...
contributed a further £100,000.
A new roof, replicating the original, using a combination of traditional carpentry techniques and modern technology, has been built, by Peter McCurdy using skills used when recreating the Globe theatre
Shakespeare's Globe
Shakespeare's Globe is a reconstruction of the Globe Theatre, an Elizabethan playhouse in the London Borough of Southwark, located on the south bank of the River Thames, but destroyed by fire in 1613, rebuilt 1614 then demolished in 1644. The modern reconstruction is an academic best guess, based...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, from English oak which came from Northumberland.The roof frame consists of cruck
Cruck
A cruck or crook frame is a curved timber, one of a pair, which supports the roof of a building, used particularly in England. This type of timber framing consists of long, generally bent, timber beams that lean inwards and form the ridge of the roof. These posts are then generally secured by a...
construction which sit high in the walls with an arcade plate then carrying the apex of the roof above.
McCurdy was also assisted by a local team run by Jon Maine who designed and erected the complex scaffolding both internally and externally and then using 8000 36" long oak hand split ( riven )battens tiled the roof using over 30,000 hand made plain tiles.
In addition to the new roof a new floor was laid, including a 3 metres (10 ft) wide strip in Blue Lias
Blue Lias
The Blue Lias is a geologic formation in southern, eastern and western England and parts of South Wales, part of the Lias Group. The Blue Lias consists of a sequence of limestone and shale layers, laid down in latest Triassic and early Jurassic times, between 195 and 200 million years ago...
Stone and 44 cubic meters of lime concrete used to fill the expanses either side. It is said to be the largest expanse of lime concrete flooring anywhere in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
The restoration was nominated for the annual Wood Awards
Wood Awards
The Wood Awards is one of the premier accolades for working with wood available in the UK. The award, which was created over thirty years ago and received its new name in 2003, is bestowed on winners of several categories within buildings and furniture...
, which recognise and encourage outstanding design, craftmanship and installation in joinery and structures in wood. It was awarded the prize as the Best Use of British Timber Award and Structural Timber Award in 2005. It also received the Royal Institute of British Architects
Royal Institute of British Architects
The Royal Institute of British Architects is a professional body for architects primarily in the United Kingdom, but also internationally.-History:...
Town and Country Design Award in the same year.
It was officially opened on Friday 1 April, 2005 by local historian Sir John Keegan
John Keegan
Sir John Keegan OBE FRSL is a British military historian, lecturer, writer and journalist. He has published many works on the nature of combat between the 14th and 21st centuries concerning land, air, maritime, and intelligence warfare, as well as the psychology of battle.-Life and career:John...
and is now used for public events such as medieval fairs and dances, as well as working as a real farm building for the rest of the time.