Restoration

30 tonnes of reed to repair one of London’s oldest thatched buildings

Image: Thatching underway at Upminster Tithe Barn, Upminster, Havering, Greater London (Scheduled Monument) © Historic England Archive

The 15th-century Upminster Tithe Barn is to be repaired with in a joint project hoped to remove it from the Heritage at Risk Register

A 12-month project to rescue the 15th-century Upminster Tithe Barn on the outskirts of London has now begun with 30 tonnes of reed added to its roof.

A partnership between National Highways, the London Borough of Havering and Historic England will see a new thatched roof added to the barn, with the hope that the building will eventually be removed from Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Register.

A grant of £650,000 from National Highways through the Lower Thames Crossing scheme is helping to repair and restore the medieval building.

Historic England added the tithe barn, which is protected as a scheduled monument – the highest level of heritage protection – to the Heritage at Risk Register in 2023.

It is boosting the barn’s restoration with a £97,664 grant along with ongoing specialist advice and support. This funding covers further essential work including timber repairs and treatment of all the external woodwork.

 

Upminster Tithe Barn, Upminster, Havering, Greater London (Scheduled Monument) (c) Historic England Archive

Four master thatchers and two apprentices are re-thatching the barn with water reed. Around 11,000 bundles will be used, weighing in at around 30 tonnes. The new roof is expected to last between 50 and 60 years. The finishing touch will be a pair of decorative boxing hares made from straw, which will sit on the ridge of the new thatched roof.

The work is being carried out by Lexden Contracts Ltd, specialists Essex Oak Frame Ltd, Simply Thatch Ltd and design team Purcell, Conisbee and Stace.

Dr Steve Sherlock, Heritage Advisor for the proposed Lower Thames Crossing, said the Tithe Barn in Upminster “plays a fundamental part in helping to preserve our heritage and educate future generations of our collective history.

“It is thatched with water reed and at 44 metres long is one of the largest thatched barns in Britain. The re-thatching is no mean feat for the team of specialists.”

Dr Jane Sidell, Principal Inspector of Ancient Monuments at Historic England added: “Watching the thatchers at work really demonstrates the skill, care and attention needed to look after our most precious historic places so that they can be loved for longer.”