Winterbourne Medieval Barn

Explore this celebrated heritage site

An intriguing medieval site

Winterbourne Medieval Barn is a building of national importance. Built in 1342, just a few years before the Black Death swept across England, the barn is an extraordinary survivor of our medieval past. It was commissioned by Thomas de Bradeston, who was Lord of the Manor of Winterbourne from 1328 until his death in 1360.

Major building works have recently been completed with support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and many other generous funders and donors to revitalise the whole Barn complex into a community heritage site promoting the knowledge of medieval history, its architecture, agricultural landscape and people.

What happens at the Barn

As a multi-purpose venue we host a range of activities for the local community including family activities, music and theatre performances, craft workshops, a monthly lecture series, and our flagship events the Medieval Fayre and Orchard Harvest Days.

The Barn makes a unique and beautiful setting for a magical wedding day and is available for hire all year round. The Barn and seminar rooms can also be hired for celebration events, film shoots, and meetings. Get in touch to find out more.

Next Events

Click here to go to our full event listing page.

Fused Glass Workshops – Miniatures / Panel

Date: 12th September 2024

Time: 10:00 am

Location: Winterbourne Medieval Barn

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Join local glass artist, Rachael Durkan from The Glass Cabin at 10am or 1pm for one of her popular fused glass workshops where you can make your own unique and beautiful item for yourself or as a gift.
Choose between “miniatures” or “panel”. Both options are available at both the morning and afternoon workshops, but we must know your selection in advance.

Miniatures – the chance to select up to 3 “miniatures” to create your very own collection of fused glass. Some of the shapes available include birds, hearts, fish, rainbows and mini balloons.

Panel – you have the option of making a larger Bristol balloon, flower panel or freestyle hanging.

Suitable for complete beginners as well as those who’ve caught the fused glass bug!

You will have 2 hours to create your masterpiece, using a variety of pre-cut glass and glass accessories in an array of beautiful colours. There will be plenty of templates to choose from or you can create your own design. Rachael will have lots of ideas to inspire you and is on hand with design advice throughout the workshop.

PLEASE NOTE – Rachael will take your finished piece away to be fused in her kiln. It will be available for collection from the barn or Rachael directly a couple of weeks after the workshop.

This workshop is suitable for age 16+ (under 18’s must be accompanied by an adult)

For safety reasons, please do not wear open toe shoes such as sandals or flip flops. Also a little reminder for people who wear glasses…. due to close up work, you may wish to bring along your spectacles!

Parking for this event is free and at the Barn, BS36 1SE.

Tea & coffee will be provided during the introduction and is included in your ticket price. Due to the nature of working with glass refreshments will not be permitted during the actual workshop.

The primary purpose of this event is to raise money for WMBT and to support conservation, management, maintenance and improvement of the WMBT site.

If you wish to avoid the online booking fee then please contact the office to arrange a time to come and book in person.

Book here

Heritage Open Day

Date: 15th September 2024

Time: 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Location: Winterbourne Medieval Barn

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We are delighted to be taking part in the Heritage Open Days Festival for our 20th year!
This event marks the anniversary of the first ever event to be put on at our site and we are so proud of how much we have achieved since then…and to still be taking part in this nationwide festival.

Come on in to find out the history of this beautiful barn and admire original medieval timbers. Hear the story of how it was all almost lost in the 1980s, then saved by local supporters in the 1990s and how it is used today!

Winterbourne Medieval Barn, built in 1342, is a unique surviving example of a great medieval Barn built by a gentry family. Constructed using green timber methods, cutting edge technology for the time, it has been described as a magnificent example of the builders craft. Come and look around this beautiful building, set in rural South Gloucestershire, just outside Bristol.

The Main Barn will be open for you to look around at your leisure with some of our volunteer tour guides on hand to answer any questions you have about our beautiful site.

Our pop up café will also be open serving a small selection of drinks and snacks. Cash and card payments are accepted,

Why not combine your visit with a trip to St Michael’s Church next door? Check their listing for times. We’re also located next to Monks Pool Nature Reserve which makes the Barn an ideal starting point for exploring the local landscape.

We will be open from 1pm – 5pm. Please arrive at any time within this time slot and stay for as long, or little as you like.

Booking in advance is helpful for us to manage numbers, but drop ins on the day are also very welcome.

Look out for the brown signs on Winterbourne High Street to direct you to The Barn and follow the pink bunting to the entrance!
Limited car parking is available onsite. We have plenty of cycle parking for those travelling by bike. The Barn is a short ten minute walk from Winterbourne High Street.

Please note parking for this event will be on site at the Barn, BS36 1SE.

Book here

Weddings

We’re now taking enquiries and bookings for wedding celebrations. The Barn and grounds make a spectacular backdrop for a special occasion. At Winterbourne Medieval Barn you have the flexibility to create an event that is as unique as you are. Check out our weddings page for more information.