Grange Barn is a National Trust property in Coggeshall which we visited on the same day as Paycocke’s House, as the Trust advises. It’s an odd attraction for the Trust but interesting in its own way, reputedly one of Europe’s largest and oldest timber-framed buildings, dating from 1230.
It was here that the Abbots of Coggeshall’s Cistercian Abby (only the remains of which now survive) stored its corn collected from the town. From then it continued to be used as a barn until the 1970s when it was saved by a local group set up to preserve it and who handed it over to the National Trust in 1989.
I can’t deny that it’s an impressively built building with a high ceiling worthy of any cathedral and the person manning the entrance was very enthusiastic and gave us a full overview of the site. However there isn’t a great deal to see inside apart from some old Victorian and Edwardian agricultural machinery (none of which photographed particularly well in the low light).
Not necessarily worth a visit on its own, the walk through the town from Paycocke’s House to the Barn is very pleasant and does provide a sense of the history of the town.
You can see some more photos here.
Louise Jayne's Blog 