About the Great Barn

The Great Barn of Wanborough was built in 1388 and was used for storing and processing crops and fleeces. Having been built for Waverley Abbey, the barn would have stored the entire manor crop.

It is an aisled barn, made from massive oak timbers, with large doors on both long sides to permit entry and exit by carts. The crops were threshed with flails on the floor between the doors which is why we call the space inside the door a threshold.

To the right of the smaller door on the north side of the barn are two upright wooden strips about three feet high. There would have been similar uprights on the left hand side and the dowels holding them can still be seen. Into this slot would be placed planking so that when the corn was threshed the chaff would blow over the top of it, but the grain, being heavier, would be retained against the boarding.

The through-draft helped in separating the chaff from the grain which was then stored in sacks until needed.

Inside the barn

Displayed in The Great Barn is an exhibition of great historic interest, travelling through 10,000 years of Wanborough history and including details of Wanborough's SOE connections.

During The Great Barn Open Days, our knowledgeable, local guides conduct regular tours of The Great Barn and around the hamlet.

The Barn and all its activities are managed and run by volunteers who live nearby.