Medieval barn gets reprieve

The barn was built in the era of the Battle of Agincourt. Photo / Supplied

LONDON - A huge wooden barn that is one of Britain's most precious intact medieval buildings is to be saved by English Heritage.

In an extremely rare move, the heritage body has begun legal action paving the way for the eventual compulsory purchase of the building, Harmondsworth Great Barn, on the fringe of Heathrow Airport.

If the purchase is approved by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, the Grade I-listed building will be brought into public ownership and saved from neglect at the hands of its owners, a Gibraltar-registered company.

One of Britain's unsung architectural treasures, Harmondsworth Great Barn dates back to the early 15th century. It is 58m long, with 12 huge oak bays, and was built during the great wave of cathedral expansion, using similar techniques and probably some of the same craftsmen.

Virtually all the barn's wood, from giant oak supporting beams to its planked walls, are original, as is its stone and brick base. But holes have recently appeared across the vast roof; parts of the interior are water-soaked, and the brick and stonework is beginning to crumble. No fire warning or firefighting system is in place.

English Heritage took the first step towards compulsory purchase this month by issuing an urgent works notice on the owners. Emergency repairs are to start this week.

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