The Barley Barn is an architecturally important medieval barn, part of a complex of farm buildings at Cressing Temple, Essex, England. The barn was built for the Knights Templar in the early thirteenth century (dendrochronological analysis has given a date of around 1220). It has been claimed to be the oldest standing timber-framed barn in the world.[1][2]
| The Barley Barn | |
|---|---|
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| General information | |
| Location | Cressing Temple, Essex |
| Country | England |
| Coordinates | 51°50′14.1″N 00°36′39.5″E / 51.837250°N 0.610972°E |
| Construction started | c.1220 |
| Owner | Essex County Council |
Listed Building – Grade I | |
History
editThe manor of Cressing was granted to the Knights Templar in the 12th century, and they are assumed to have commissioned the barn. Scientific evidence suggests a felling date for the timber of the barn of around 1220.[3][4]
Pope Clement V disbanded the order in 1312.[5] The estate at Cressing passed to the Knights Hospitaller. It has since had other changes of ownership. The barn was modified in later centuries,[2] but remained in agricultural use until recent times.
Architecture
editThe Barley Barn is 38 metres (125 ft) long and 14 metres (46 ft) wide. Its construction displays 13th century features such as the use of straight square-section timber, passing braces, and certain types of joints and methods of assembly.[6]
Roof
editThe roof has been tiled from the beginning, and would have weighed close to 70 tonnes.[7]
Conservation
editThe Barley Barn is a Grade I listed building. Essex County Council acquired Cressing Temple in the 1980s and it has been converted into a heritage attraction.[8]
References
edit- ^ . Haag, Michael (2014) The Tragedy of the Templars. Published by Profile Books Limited. ISBN 978-1-84668-451-7
- ^ a b Historic England. "Details from listed building database (1123865)". National Heritage List for England.
- ^ Bettley, James, and Nikolaus Pevsner. Essex: The Buildings of England. New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press, 2007. 313. ISBN 0300116144
- ^ Brown, R. J.. Timber-framed buildings of England. London: R. Hale Ltd. 1997.46-48. ISBN 0709060920
- ^ Barber, Malcolm (1995). The new knighthood : a history of the Order of the Temple (Canto ed.). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. pp. xxi–xxii. ISBN 978-0-521-55872-3.
- ^ "The barns and medieval carpentry". Friends of Cressing Temple. Retrieved 8 January 2023.
- ^ Strachan, David (1998). Essex from the Air: Archaeology and history from aerial photographs. Published by Essex County Council Planning Dept. (ISBN 1-85281-165-X)
- ^ "Cressing Temple". The Gardens Trust.