Built between 1360 and 1370, the historical Tythe Barn still retains the majority of its 22 foot original beams. The roof was first thatched with reeds from the nearby Otmoor water plains and has only recently required re-thatching. The wonderful stone walls are an amazing 4.5 foot thick in parts. Historically the Tythe Barn would have stored all the produce provided by the local people and a percentage of this would have been passed on to the landlord as a form of rent- hence the name Tythe.
During the English Civil War the Manor House (seen above right) to which the Tythe Barn belongs, was used to hide priests. Over 500 were secretly ordained by Bishop Skinner in the beautiful Norman Church of Launton which is situated just behind the Tythe Barn. There is widely believed to be a priests’ tunnel from the Manor to the church- but this is yet to be located.
The property has been farmed by the Deeley family since 1480, apart from a 100 year gap, and appears in the Doomsday Book. In latter years the Barn has been a home for lambing ewes in the spring, harvesting grain in the summer and as a home to cattle in the winter.
Sympathetically renovated by William Deeley, along with an adjoining cattle shelter, the Tythe Barn is a stunning 14th Century venue in which to hold your event. Look out for the gallery of photographs creatively mounted and displayed in The Cowshed which document some of the Barn’s more recent history.