New Roof and Repairs for Medieval Upminster Tithe Barn
A 12 month project to rescue the 15th century Upminster Tithe Barn on the outskirts of London is underway thanks to a partnership between National Highways, the London Borough of Havering, and Historic England.
£650,000 from National Highways through the Lower Thames Crossing scheme is helping to repair and restore the medieval building.
It is one of the oldest thatched buildings in London.
Re-thatching the vast roof, following repairs to structural timbers and historic brickwork, will pave the way for the tithe barn to be removed from Historic England's Heritage at Risk Register.
Historic England added the tithe barn – protected as a scheduled monument, the highest level of heritage protection – to the Heritage at Risk Register in 2023.
Together, the partners have developed a conservation project to secure the building's future, preserving the unique structure for future generations.
Historic England is boosting the barn's restoration with a £97,664 grant and ongoing specialist advice and support.
This funding covers further essential work, including timber repairs and treatment of all external woodwork.
Securing the support of National Highways has been instrumental in getting the repair and restoration of this exceptionally important building off the ground. By working together we have developed a conservation scheme that will secure the tithe barn's future and remove it from the Heritage at Risk Register. Watching the thatchers at work really demonstrates the skill, care and attention needed to look after our most precious historic places so that they can be loved for longer.
30 Tonnes of Reed
4 master thatchers and 2 apprentices are hard at work re-thatching the barn with water reed.
Around 11,000 bundles will be used, weighing in at around 30 tonnes. The new roof is expected to last between 50 and 60 years.
The finishing touch will be a pair of decorative boxing hares made from straw, which will sit on the ridge of the new thatched roof.
The work is being carried out by Lexden Contracts, specialists Essex Oak Frame and Simply Thatch, and design team Purcell, Conisbee and Stace.
As well as being recognised as a building of historical significance the Tithe Barn in Upminster plays a fundamental part in helping to preserve our heritage and educate future generations of our collective history. The barn dates from around 1450 and is originally part of the Waltham Abbey estate. It is thatched with water reed and at 44 metres long is one of the largest thatched barns in Britain. The re-thatching is no mean feat for the team of specialists.
History
The Tithe Barn in Upminster dates from a time when England was in the midst of an economic crisis known as the Great Slump.
Trade had collapsed, driving down agricultural prices, rents and what was deemed to be acceptable levels of royal taxation.
This played a part in civil uprisings and the outbreak of civil war in 1455 between the Houses of Lancaster and York, subsequently known as the War of the Roses.
It is one of the earliest surviving buildings in the London Borough of Havering, built in the mid-15th century as part of the Waltham Abbey estate in Epping at a time when the area was open countryside.
Waltham Abbey was an Augustinian Abbey at Epping Forest, around 20 miles to the north-east.
The nearby Grade II* listed Upminster Hall, now home to Upminster Golf Club, served as a rest stop or hunting lodge for the Abbot.
We're delighted to be working together with National Highways, Historic England, Lower Thames Crossing scheme and all our partners, to help restore Tithe Barn. The start of the thatching works is an exciting milestone and will be a stunning feature of the barn when the restoration is completed. As the owners of Tithe Barn, Havering is very proud to have this building as part of the borough’s very proud history. The works being carried out will mean we can keep another part of our heritage alive for our residents now and for future generations to come.
Grange or timber-framed barns like this were often used for storing tithes, an early form of tax to support the church.
The barn continued to be used after King Henry VIII dissolved the monasteries. It remains remarkably unchanged to this day.
In recent years, it has been used by the Hornchurch and District Historical Society as a museum of nostalgia, showcasing local historical artefacts.
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