Manor Farm Barn, Harmondsworth, Greater London
This medieval barn in West London was described by the poet Sir John Betjeman as the "Cathedral of Middlesex'. It is the best preserved and largest surviving medieval timber barn in England. It was built in 1426 by Winchester College to store grain from the surrounding manor. The manor was owned by the Bishop of Winchester. The profits from selling the grain were used to pay for the school. The barn has undergone some repairs but remains largely as it was built. Indide it looks like the nave of a large church. It stands nearly 60m (200ft) long, 12m (40ft) wide, and 11m (36ft) high. It has 13 huge oak trusses (posts) which rest on stone blocks holding up the roof. The timber and stones bear the original carpenter and mason marks. All the workmanship is of the highest quality. The barn was used until the 1970s but fell into disrepair. It was purchased by English Heritage in 2012 and opened to the public.
