Whiston Manorial Barn

Whiston Manorial Barn—located in Whiston, a suburb on the outskirts of Rotherham—dates back to the 13th century.

Whiston Manorial Barn claims to be the oldest agricultural building in Yorkshire but, strictly speaking, this applies only to original parts of the structure. The southern five bays of this barn have been scientifically dated to the early 13th century but the northern three bays are known to be a 16th-century addition. The barn has a thatched roof and a characteristic shape imposed by the early medieval cruck frame construction system, which used specially selected curved trees to produce the “crucks.”

Nestled on Chaff Lane, it is thought that the name of the street came about because of the windblown chaff released during threshing activities on the site. The barn went out of use as an agricultural building in the 19th century and by the 1980s it was in a dilapidated state and under threat of demolition. It was even proposed to transport the materials away and rebuild it in Oxfordshire.

Fortunately, the barn was purchased by the local Parish Council in 1985 and restored and re-thatched in 1991. It is now used for parish events and in more recent years as an unusual and historic wedding venue. The income from the wedding operation helps keeps the barn maintained.