The tithe barn at Great Coxwell in Oxfordshire was built by the Cistercian monks of Beaulieu Abbey in about 1292. Dendrochronology has dated some of the timbers of the structure to 1253 and ensuing years, as well as to the winter of 1291-2. The walls are built of Cotswold stone and the roof is tiled with Stonesfield slate.
It measures 152 feet (46m) long and 48 feet (15m) high. It has a small east porch (shown above) and a larger west porch. The south elevation (above) received most attention from the builders with the buttresses, ventilation holes and great doorway being completely symmetrical. William Morris said it was "as noble as any cathedral". The barn is a Grade 1 Listed structure and since 1956 it has been in the ownership of the National Trust.
photo © T. Boughen Camera: Nikon D5300
