West Pennard Court Barn, Medieval tithe barn in West Bradley, England
West Pennard Court Barn is a medieval storage building in West Bradley constructed from local stone with carefully worked corners and sturdy timber beams. Large doorways and openings on its sides provided access for moving harvested grain and other farm goods in and out of the structure.
The building was constructed in the late 14th or early 15th century as property of Glastonbury Abbey, serving to store tithes collected from surrounding farms. After roof collapse in 1935, it underwent major restoration work that returned it to stable condition for long-term care.
The barn reflects how medieval rural communities organized their resources and obligations to the church. Its design reveals practical solutions from centuries past that farmers developed to manage storage and protect their goods from spoilage.
The site is best visited during dry weather since it sits in open countryside with minimal shelter around the structure. Sturdy footwear is recommended as you may walk across uneven ground to view the building from different angles.
The structure originally contained a dovecote with visible niches still present in the east wall, which was later converted into a calf shed. This adaptation shows how medieval farmers modified their buildings to suit changing agricultural needs over time.
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