Tithe Barn About 75 Yards North West Of The Old Prebendal

The Tithe Barn, located about 75 yards north-west of the Old Prebendal in Shipton-under-Wychwood, is a Grade II* listed rectorial barn. It likely dates from the early 14th century and was rebuilt in stone during the 15th century, with significant re-roofing in the 17th century and minor alterations and repairs in the mid to late 19th century. The barn is constructed of rubble with a Cotswold stone roof, featuring coped verges and saddlestones, and the roof is noticeably racked to the north-east.

The structure has three bays on one side and six on the other, originally built using full cruck construction, as indicated by the pad stones and the undulation of the secondary masonry cladding. The crucks were adapted to form reduced crucks, or principals with curved feet, with two surviving from the late 17th-century reconstruction.

On the south-east front, there are three irregular buttresses, a two-light mullioned window with a drip to the left, stone steps leading to an upper door to the left of center, and opposed entries to the right of center at the north-east end. There are also blocked slit vents. The north-east gable features a slit vent with a lozenge head.

Inside, the two surviving original trusses have short yokes supported by multi-pegged arch braces and previously carried two pairs of trenched purlins with windbraces. Evidence suggests that the eaves level was lower than it is now, with a possible cruck spur buried in the wall. A stone partition wall for the floored south-west end appears to be contemporary, indicating that the barn has functioned as a multi-purpose space since at least the 17th century. There is a theory that the introduction of the crucks here contributed to the development of raised and upper crucks, particularly the principals with curved feet that are common in this region.