Swalcliffe Barn

Known locally as the Tythe Barn, Swalcliffe Barn was built for the manor of Swalcliffe by New College, Oxford as the owners of the manor.

Constructed between 1401 and 1407, it is one of the most magnificent barns in the country, with much of its massive medieval timber half-cruck roof intact. The Oxfordshire Buildings Trust owns the Barn, which was extensively renovated with a grant from what was then English Heritage. The Oxfordshire Museums Service leases the Barn for ‘accessible storage’ and visitors can enjoy some of their collections of agricultural and trade vehicles ranging from traditional Oxfordshire wagons, an early hand-operated fire engine and a colourfully painted horse-drawn bullock cart, to a Hovis delivery van.

The Barn is opened to visitors by volunteers from the Swalcliffe Society whose exhibition depicting life in the area from the Roman period to the present day, provides a wealth information about the locality.