A Multi-purpose Thatched Buckinghamshire Barn
Constructed between 1836 and 1837, this versatile Victorian farm building serves multiple functions. Featuring sections dedicated to cart and tool storage, an animal feeding shelter, and a central stable, it provides a glimpse into the practicalities of agricultural life during the reign of Queen Victoria.
The shelter comes from College Farm, Long Crendon, Buckinghamshire, where land had been owned by Trinity College in Cambridge since 1601.
Why is Marsworth Cattle Shelter at the Museum?
The farm was going to be turned into a quarry for digging up chalk. The whole area was bought by the Tunnel Cement Company to supply the Pitstone Cement Works. College Farm finally succumbed to the excavator around 1981.
What is the Shelter Built From?
It’s a wooden building, covered in tar and sitting on a black plinth to protect it from the weather. The roof is thatched with straw and the floor is made of chalk packed in very tightly. There was lots of chalk in the area so it was easy and cheap to get.
Inside Marsworth Cattle Shelter
The shelter has a manger and hay rack where animals can feed and be sheltered from the wet weather. The stable has five bays, three for stabling and two for carts and farm tools.