West Pennard Court Barn

The barn which was originally known as Parson's Barn, was built on the orders of the Abbot of Glastonbury Abbey in the late 14th or early 15th century. There is no written record of the exact date and there is some debate about the likely age of the building based on the architectural features. The West Pennart Court Barn is the smallest of those which survive. A survey in 1932 found that the roof was cracked and it eventually collapsed in 1935. In 1936 the roof structure was straightened, preserving the medieval trusses where possible, and covered with clay tiles. The restoration was undertaken by the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings, with the work being funded by Roger…

es and (at top) croix pommée ventilation.]] The rectangular five-bay barn is 50 ft long and 20 ft wide, although it was previously larger. The middle bay is slightly longer than the others because of the central porches. The barn is built of local Blue Lias stone with some better quality oolitic ashlar used for the quoins on the corners and the porches which provided cover for goods being loaded and unloaded at the doors. The barn originally had an attached dovecote on the western end, and still has niches for birds inside the barn and on the east gable wall.