Harmondsworth Hall
Harmondsworth Hall
Rescued by English Heritage after years of neglect, this Grade I listed barn ranks alongside the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey for its exceptional architectural and historic interest. It was dubbed by the late poet laureate and heritage campaigner Sir John Betjeman as the "Cathedral of Middlesex".
Built in 1426 by Winchester College as part of its manor farm at Harmondsworth, the oak-framed barn is an outstanding example of medieval carpentry and contains one of the most intact interiors of its era. At nearly 60 metres long, 12 metres wide and 11 metres tall, with 13 massive oak trusses holding up the roof, both its size and aisles evoke the space and shape of a cathedral.
Having remained an agricultural barn for almost 600 years, the building continues to feature strongly in the life of the Harmondsworth community. Now under the management of the Friends of the Great Barn at Harmondsworth, visitors to the barn will be able to absorb the awe-inspiring scale of the barn and enjoy this superb example of medieval architecture.