Work begins on the Medieval Barn

We’re excited to announce that work is now underway on our Medieval Barn.

This Grade II*-listed barn is the oldest original building in our care and parts of its timber frame are understood to date back to the 13th century, contemporary with the ownership of the manor of Stow being granted to the abbey of St Osyth. That makes it over 700 years old and Stowmarket’s oldest building.

While the barn’s heavily timbered interior creates a characterful space for everything from weddings and theatre performances to food festivals and community events, there’s been one significant drawback: it’s only really usable if it isn’t wet or cold! The roof leaks, the wind whistles through the holes in the weatherboarded walls, and we’ve even had visitors rained on during performances!

What’s Happening?

As part of The Kitchen Project, we’re weatherproofing the barn to make it more comfortable year-round whilst still retaining its character. The works include:

• Lifting off the roof tiles and putting in place a new membrane to ensure that the building is watertight
• Addressing areas where the timber has deteriorated
• Repairing and patching the historic weatherboarding
• Adding a new floor to protect the areas of original flooring, with vision panels so you can still see the original chalk and brick threshing floors beneath
• Installing secondary glazing at the entrances

We are doing this now to avoid the main bat roosting season, and the works will be complete in time for summer 2026

Why It Matters

The Barn is a precious building and we want to ensure that it remains in good condition for current and future generations to enjoy. The last time it had major works was in the 1980s and it is due some TLC.

When we have finished the works, we intend that the space will house an introductory film for the museum visit, as well as continuing to be used for events.

Being able to use the barn more often will bring real benefits. It means more events, more income to support the museum’s work, and a year-round venue for our community. We’re expecting to add around 20 additional bookings over the winter period, generating vital funds to support our conservation work and public programmes.

Best of all, we’re doing this work sensitively, keeping as much of the historic fabric as possible and ensuring that the barn’s wonderful character – the very thing that makes it so special – is preserved for future generations.

None of this work would be possible without the support of our major funders, The National Lottery Heritage Fund and Mid Suffolk District Council. The work to the Barn is also supported by the Garfield Weston Foundation and The Pilgrim Trust.

Stay tuned for updates as the work progresses. We can’t wait to welcome you into a beautiful, dry barn for your next visit!