Barn at Littlebourne Court

The barn at Littlebourne Court is a significant structure, likely dating from the mid-14th century, with carbon dating suggesting around 1400. It may incorporate elements from an earlier 12th-century barn on the site. This large, aisled timber-framed barn is clad in vertical weatherboarding and sits on a brick plinth, topped with a hipped thatched roof. In 1961, two hipped wagon entrances were added. The barn measures 172 feet long and consists of 8½ bays. It features passing braces, crown posts with foot braces on either side, and head braces that support collar braces. The rafters lack a ridgepiece and have undergone substantial re-rafting. Jowled posts are supported on wooden padstones, and there is a remarkable survival of midrail to the vertical weatherboarding. Although the barn is largely intact, one foot brace has been replaced, and some knee supports have been added between the upright posts and arched braces. The assembly of the main plate follows a normal pattern, while the aisle plate uses reverse assembly with a variety of joints. Historically, the barn belonged to St Augustine's Abbey in Canterbury and may have been used for storing tithes. It is recognized as the earliest barn in the Canterbury District and, alongside Frindsbury barn in the Medway District and Brook barn in the Ashford District, is one of the earliest known barns in Kent.