| The Bishop's Barn | |
| Map Type: | Somerset |
| Location: | Wells, Somerset |
| Address: | Silver Street |
| Coordinates: | 51.2059°N -2.6435°W |
| Completion Date: | 15th century |
The Bishop's Barn in Silver Street, Wells, Somerset, England, was built as a tithe barn in the 15th century. It has been designated as a Grade I listed building, and scheduled as an ancient monument.
It was built of local stone roughly squared, with Doulting ashlar dressings and a Westmorland slate roof. The barn has 12 bays with a cruck roof with double collar beams and arched wind braces.[1]
Royalist troops were quartered in the barn during the Bloody Assizes.[2] It 1887 the barn was given to the City of Wells by Bishop Lord Arthur Hervey for recreation and amusement.[3]
During the 1970s the barn was used as a music venue, and hosted bands such as Supertramp, Status Quo and Slade, with audiences of up to 1,500.[4] These bands were promoted at the venue by local Wells teenagers Gordon Poole and Tony Leach. It is now managed by the Wells Recreation Ground Trust.[5] The barn and adjacent recreation ground can be booked for events.[6]
In 2014 the Wells Recreation Ground Trust commissioned architects to survey the buildings and develop options for its repair and future use in conjunction with the Somerset Buildings Preservation Trust.[7] [8] [9] The advisory group identified a plan for improvements to the barn, including the installation of central heating and repairs to the walls and roof, estimated to cost at least £400,000 over five years.[10] [11]
. Somerset: The complete guide . Robin Bush (historian) . 1994 . Dovecote Press . Wimborne, Dorset . 1-874336-26-1 . 221 .