The barns in this group are not only barns that have been converted into dwellings, but also earlier buildings that were converted into barns.
When Henry VIII dissolved the Monasteries and sold off their lands, the new owners often found themselves with large buildings which could no longer be used for their original purpose. The Churches were all dismantled so that they could no longer be used, but the large communal refectories and guest houses still had their roofs intact.
With very little work, they could be converted into barns. Many the buildings in this section started off as high status buildings which were later utilised to store and process crops.
As well as the few barns I have visited which have been converted into dwellings I have included barns that have been converted into pubs, cafes and event venues. Most of these have kept the big internal space which I think is the very essence of the threshing barn.
