Shipston Road
Swalcliffe
near Banbury
OX15 5DR

Link to Google Maps

Set in beautiful countryside with magnificent views of Swalcliffe, this barn is one of the finest 15th-century half-cruck barns in England. Construction began in 1401 for New College, Oxford.

Known locally as the Tythe Barn, Swalcliffe Barn is owned by the Oxfordshire Buildings Trust. It is leased by Oxfordshire County Council.

Opening times

The barn is open from Easter Sunday to October, Sundays and Bank Holiday Mondays 2pm - 5pm or by appointment. Entry is free.

Access

There is a car park, toilet and access for people with disabilities.

What you can see

The barn houses part of The Oxfordshire Museum's collection of traditional agricultural and trade vehicles.

There are displays of Oxfordshire wagons, famous for their quality and graceful design, as well as an exhibition exploring the 2,500 years of local history by the Swalcliffe Society. You can see some of the wagons below.

Download a leaflet

• Swalcliffe Barn leaflet (pdf format, 1.3 MB)

About the Oxfordshire Buildings Trust

The Oxfordshire Buildings Trust, which was set up in 1981, has restored or helped restore a number of historical buildings. As well as acquiring Swalcliffe Barn, its work has included:

• restoring the front property to St Clements Car Park, Oxford
• helped secure protected areas at Ardley Quarry where some of the finest dinosaur trackways have been discovered
• helped save Lord Nuffield's South Oxfordshire home for the nation
• set up a historical trail at Ascott Park.

Grants have also been made to help conserve the Martyrs' Memorial, Oxford; Abingdon County Hall and Dorchester Abbey.

Trustees

Oxfordshire Buildings Trustees, who include district and county representatives and professionals, meet three or four times a year to carry out its work. For more information, contact honorary secretary John Griffin by emailing johnhay.griffin@btinternet.com