Exploring Kent's Past

It should not be assumed that this site is publicly accessible and it may be on private property. Do not trespass.

Monument details

Summary

Grade I listed building. Main construction periods 1300 to 1332 Believed build as a Tithe Barn for St. Augustine's Abbey Possible under instruction of Salamon of Ripple a monk who was the warden for Littlebourne and a number of other parishes.

The medieval core of the building has remained largely unaltered whilst further elements of the original framing have survived in the rear south-east aisle wall and north-west terminal bay. Archaic features used in this primary fabric, such as the splayed and keyed scarfs, spandrals and dragon ties, all suggest a date during the first half of the 14th century. Acomprehensive set of carpenter's marks show te lose of one and ahalf bays from the south-western end of the barn.

Although no direct evidence for the original entrances remains, the positions of two early openings suggest that the 14th century barn was entered through two doors, symmetrically placed about the two central bays.

Unfortunately the original roof structure does not survive. The presetn crown-post roof, which probably dates from the 15th century, is clearly a replacement..

Several details observed, in particular the free tenons atop three of the principle posts, suggest that the building may have been dismantled and then reassembled on the present site.

Summary from record TR 25 NW 127 :

Early C14 aisled timber barn

Monument Types

• TITHE BARN (Medieval to Modern - 1300 AD to 2050 AD) + Sci.Date

Full description

If you do not understand anything on this page please contact us.

Description from record TR 25 NW 43 :
Barn at Littlebourne Court, Church Road, (NE side), Littlebourne. Grade II*. (TR 2103 5788 - sited from HHR map). Early C14 aisled timber barn of 7 bays with openings in bays 2 and 6 but no porch. Faced with weatherboarding. Hipped tiled roof. Collar purlin and crownpost roof with braces to crown posts and arched tie-beams. (1) Additional bibliography. (2)

Believed built as a Tithe Barn for St. Augustine's Abbey Possible under instruction of Salamon of Ripple a monk who was the warden for Littlebourne and a number of other parishes.

The medieval core of the building has remained largely unaltered whilst further elements of the original framing have survived in the rear south-east aisle wall and north-west terminal bay. Archaic features used in this primary fabric, such as the splayed and keyed scarfs, spandrals and dragon ties, all suggest a date during the first half of the 14th century. Acomprehensive set of carpenter's marks show te lose of one and ahalf bays from the south-western end of the barn.

Although no direct evidence for the original entrances remains, the positions of two early openings suggest that the 14th century barn was entered through two doors, symmetrically placed about the two central bays.

Unfortunately the original roof structure does not survive. The present crown-post roof, which probably dates from the 15th century, is clearly a replacement..

Several details observed, in particular the free tenons atop three of the principle posts, suggest that the building may have been dismantled and then reassembled on the present site.(3)

Description from record TR 25 NW 127 :
TR 210579. Timber Barn, Littlebourne. (1-2) Barn at Littlebourne Court. Early C14 aisled timber barn. (3)


Dendrochronology showed a primary date range of 1307-1327, with alterations in the mid C14 (1525 for a crown post and 1582 for an inserted post). (4-5)

The following text is from the original listed building designation:

In the entry for:-
TR 2157 35/448 LITTLEBOURNE CHURCH ROAD (north east side)
Barn at Littlebourne 30. 1.67 Court
II*
The entry shall be amended to read:
TR 2157 LITTLEBOURNE CHURCH ROAD (north east side)
35/448A Barn at Littlebourne Court
I
Barn. Probably mid C14 (dated c.1400 by carbon dating) and possibly reusing elements from an earlier C12 barn on the site. Large aisled timberframed barn clad in vertical weatherboarding on brick plinth with hipped thatched roof. 2 hipped waggon entrances added in 1961. 8½ bay barn 172 feet long. Passing braces. Crown posts with foot braces on either side and head braces supporting collar braces. Rafters but no ridgepiece with substantial re-rafting. Jowled posts supported on wooden padstones. Remarkable survival of midrail to vertical weatherboarding. The barn is remarkably complete although 1 foot brace has been replaced and some knee supports have been inserted between the upright posts and arched braces. Normal assembly to main plate and reverse assembly to aisle plate with variety of joints. The barn belonged to St Augustine's Abbey, Canterbury and part of it may have been us-ed for storing tithes. This is the earliest barn in Canterbury District and together with Frindsbury barn Medway District and Brook barn Ashford District one of the earliest known barns in Kent. (See S E Rigold 'Some Major Kentish Timber Barns' Arch Cant Vol LXXXI Jane Wade Ed 'Traditional Kent Buildings' No 4 pp 26-35).
1. 5273 LITTLEBOURNE CHURCH ROAD (north-east side)
Barn at Littlebourne Court TR 2157 35/448A 30.1.67
II*
2. Early C14 aisled timber barn of 7 bays with openings in bays 2 and 6 but no porch. Faced with weatherboarding. Hipped tiled roof. Collar purlin and crown post roof with braces to crown posts and arched tie-beams. Listing NGR: TR2102857884 (6)

<1> Arch Cant 81 1966 11-2 (SE Rigold) (OS Card Reference). SKE35712.

<1> DOE(HHR) Dist of Canterbury Kent Mar 1980 142 (OS Card Reference). SKE40892.

<2> BOE NE and E Kent 1983 372 (J Newman) (OS Card Reference). SKE38242.

<2> DOE(HHR)Dist of the City of Canterbury 1980 142 (OS Card Reference). SKE41360.

<3> BOE NE and E Kent 1983 372 (J Newman) (OS Card Reference). SKE38242.

<3> Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 1995, Littlebourne Barn Nr Canterbury (Unpublished document). SKE8379.

<4> Vernacular Architecture Group, ADS Dendrochronology Database, Vol. 35, Pg. 92 (Website). SKE17391.

<5> English Heritage, 2003, Tree-Ring Analysis of Timbers from Littlebourne Barn, Near Canterbury, Kent (Unpublished document). SKE17495.

<6> English Heritage, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest (Map). SKE16160.

Sources and further reading