Nailsea Tithe Barn

The Tithe Barn adjoins the church on one of the highest points of ground, overlooking the flat and boggy surrounding moors. The barn was used as a school for over 200 years, and is now fully restored to its medieval origins. The vaulted ceiling, stonework and owl & putlog holes sit harmoniously alongside modern features. The roof beams date the Tithe Barn to around 1480. It was a basic agricultural barn with seven bays. It has since been significantly modified, especially when it was converted to use as a school, in 1789.

The original barn was a single open space with no glazed windows. It was probably used to store tithes - a 10% tax of the agricultural produce of local farmers collected by the church. It is alongside Holy Trinity Church built c. 1311 on the highest point in Nailsea.

The magnificent roof of the barn reveals its medieval origins. There are six arched-braced collared trusses along the length of the barn. These were probably cheaper and easier to source than simple cruck trusses made from a single piece of curved forked timber.

Ventilation (to keep the crops from going mouldy) was provided by the repeating pattern of arrow slit windows and four putlog holes in each bay. The triangular owl hole, at the top of the east wall (as shown in the photo below) would have allowed owls in to eat any mice!

Stone buttresses on the exterior of the barn took the weight of the roof and supported the walls. Only four are still evident – they may have been removed to provide stone to infill the barn doors or for other buildings. The original floor was about 400mm lower than at present but has been built up over time and now accommodates modern under floor heating!

The stone is locally produced hard pennant sandstone known as ‘Nailsea Flats’ with lime mortar made using local earth and sand. The full extent of the stonework and wooden roof are now being seen for the first time in living memory.

The juxtaposition of old and new respects the building’s heritage while providing a beautiful and unique community venue that can be used for a range of meetings and functions from concerts and dances to weddings.