Name: Prior's Hall Barn
Rating: 5.0

Prior's Hall Barn

High Street, Widdington, Saffron Walden, Essex CB11 3SB, UK

1-99 Years

Website

Contact

Message

Description

Prior's Hall Barn one of the finest surviving medieval barns in eastern England, tree-ring dated to the mid 15th century, with a breathtaking aisled interior and crown post roof, the product of some 400 oaks.

Soon after the Norman Conquest, Widdington was given by William the Conqueror to the abbey of St-Valery-sur-Somme in Picardy. As lands in foreign ownership became an increasing drain on the English economy, Widdington was subsequently confiscated by Edward III and in 1377 given to William of Wykeham, the powerful Bishop of Winchester.

Free Entry. If you are looking for Best place for day out with kids and families then this is the perfect destination offering fun, adventure, and unforgettable memories for everyone.

Features

Free
Host birthday parties: No

Features

History of Prior’s Hall Barn, Widdington: Prior’s Hall Barn is one of the finest surviving medieval barns in the east of England. In an age when timber was plentiful, and a great barn epitomised the prosperity of a landowner, the building provided scope for the craft of the carpenter on a scale otherwise found only in medieval great halls and church roofs.
Origins: Soon after the Norman Conquest, Widdington was given by William the Conqueror to the abbey of St-Valery-sur-Somme in Picardy. As lands in foreign ownership became an increasing drain on the English economy, Widdington was subsequently confiscated by Edward III and in 1377 given to William of Wykeham, the powerful Bishop of Winchester.
Description: The interior of this substantial timber-framed barn is quite breathtaking. Its crown post roof has 71 pairs of upper rafters, with a further eight pairs of rafters of decreasing size in the hipped ends. It is aisled, with eight bays, and has two great porches that allowed carts bearing the harvest to be unloaded under cover inside. The curved bracing and cusped bargeboards on the gable ends are both characteristic 14th-century features.
The Barn Today: Today the only major difference from the original construction is the absence of the great timber partition wall that originally separated the eight bays into three and five. In the 18th century a raised floor was built at the east end with under-floor ventilation for drying corn. The timber groundsills for the walls and aisles were laid on foundations that were originally of flint and mortar, the remains of which can be seen on each side of the eastern porch.

Facilities

Parking: There is a small car park by the barn.
Food & Drinks: There are no facilities at the barn but there is a pub in the village, or the nearest town with extensive facilities is Saffron Walden, 6 miles away.
Dogs: Assistance dogs only.

Website

Contact

Price

Price: Free

Birthday Parties

Offer Birthday Parties: No

Open at weekends Apr-Sep, 10am to 6pm.

Address: High Street, Widdington, Saffron Walden, Essex CB11 3SB, UK

Post Code: CB11 3SB

Council: Uttlesford

County: Essex

Road Access: In Widdington, on unclassified road 2 miles SE of Newport, off B1383.
Bus Access: TGM Stansted 301; Regal 322.
Train Access: Newport 2 miles.
Bicycle Access: Find this site on The National Cycle Network.
Parking: There is a small car park by the barn.