Abbotsbury Tithe Barn
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Abbotsbury Tithe Barn is now a base for artisan workshops and crafters, set in the atmospheric and beautiful surroundings of the “Tithe Barn” on the edge of Abbotsbury village.
The title Tithe Barn comes from the name given to the practice by which tenants of an estate gave a proportion (in this case one tenth) of their harvest to their landlord each year. It was know as “tithing” (pronounced like “tie”). For this old barn the landlords were the monks of Abbotsbury, who judging by the size of their 14th Century cathedral-like garner store, made a pretty good living out of the proceeds from their estate. Even by modern standards the Tithe Barn is a sizeable construction. And it used to be twice as big as it is now! Henry the VIII’s dissolution of the monasteries helped to shrink it to its current size. Today, the Tithe Barn or Smugglers’ Barn, houses a host of interesting goodies and is part of the part of the trio of Abbotsbury attractions along with the Swannery and Subtropical Gardens. |
Sadly the Children's Farm at the Abbotsbury Tithe Barn has permanently CLOSED DOWN"
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