Middle Littleton Tithe Barn

By Richard Denning

Recently I had reason to be driving to Evesham in Worcestershire. Having an hour or so to spare I decided to visit Middle Littleton Tithe Barn which is a National Trust Property in a small village near Evesham.

A tithe barn was a type of barn used commonly across most of northern Europe in the Middle Ages for storing rents and tithes. The tithe was paid by the villagers and farmers around a village and represented one tenth of a villagers income or a farm’s produce. As such the bulk of the tithe would be paid in the form of food or drink. The tithe was was given to the Church to help maintain the local church. In exchange the locals received spiritual care, healing and education. Tithe barns were built to store all this produce and was often close to the village church.

One of the largest and finest 13th-century tithe barns in the country is Middle Littleton Tithe Barn. It was once part of a more extensive estate consisting of a Manor House, Church and surrounding farms and fields. It is believed to date to circa 1250.

This out house once housed a cider press and behind it there is still an orchard between the Tithe Barn and the local church.

Upon the roof of the Tithe Barn is a Finial which was not just decorative but believed to keep away evil spirits.

The interior is a huge space. the roof is supported by what is called a raised cruck roof.

Here is another look at the roof structure:

For more details please visit the National Trust site...

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Richard Denning is an historical fiction author whose main period of interest is the Early Anglo-Saxon Era. His Northern Crown series explores the late 6th and early 7th centuries through the eyes of a young Saxon lord. Explore the darkest years of the dark ages with Cerdic.