Hartpury bee shelter

Hartpury bee shelter was built of Cotswold stone in the mid-1800s by the stonemason, Paul Tuffley, for his house in Nailsworth, Gloucestershire. Its purpose was to house the coiled straw bee skeps that were used before the widespread adoption of wooden hives. For protection from the weather and cold skeps were often placed in wooden shelters or in recesses in stone walls. The Hartpury example is believed to be the only extant stone shelter in Britain. It was very nearly destroyed in 1968 when it was in the grounds of Nailsworth police station. Its removal to Hartpury Agricultural College, its restoration and siting in Hartpury churchyard has ensured that this unique structure is available for all to see.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2

Hartpury tithe barn

The original purpose of the tithe barn was to hold the produce paid by farmers to the local church. One tenth of a farm's production was paid to the priest and went towards his and the wider church's upkeep. A number of tithe barns still remain in Britain, and many more are remembered in street names. The fourteenth century tithe barn, built by the Abbey of Gloucester at Hartpury, is one of the largest in the country, measuring 161 feet by 36 feet. It is made of stone and may have originally had a thatched roof. The present roof is tiled. In the eighteenth the large main door was supplemented by five smaller doors. Further adaptations - inside dividing walls and adjoining walled yards to manage cattle - were added in the nineteenth century. Interestingly, on one end of the roof is a Welsh dragon finial (facing towards England) and on the other is an English lion (facing towards Wales).

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2