Winchester College's medieval barn saved (From Daily Echo)
When news happens, text SDE and your photos or videos to 80360. Or contact us by email and phone.
Winchester College's medieval barn saved
10:58am Monday 30th January 2012 in Environment
IMPORTANT: The grade 1 listed Harmondsworth Barn
A MEDIEVAL barn built almost 600 years ago by Winchester College has been rescued from decay, English Heritage said.
The Grade I listed Harmondsworth Barn joins the likes of Stonehenge, Osborne House and parts of Hadrian’s Wall in the national collection of historic sites and monuments under the guardianship of English Heritage.
The barn, in west London, was once described by the poet John Betjeman as the “cathedral of Middlesex”.
Built by Winchester College in 1426, it would have been used to store grain from the surrounding manor, owned by the Bishop of Winchester, with profits from the produce used to pay for the school.
The structure resembles the nave of a large church, standing at nearly 60 metres (200ft) long, and has 13 huge oak trusses resting on stone blocks holding up the roof.
The structure is largely as it was built. The heritage agency said it ranks alongside the Houses of Parliament and Buckingham Palace for its historic value.
