The Barn, Glastonbury, Visitor Guide & Things to Do Nearby

The Barn on Bere Lane in Glastonbury is the medieval Abbey Barn, a 14th century stone building that once belonged to Glastonbury Abbey. Today it forms part of the Somerset Rural Life Museum, so it is both a rare survivor from the abbey's working life and a way into the story of farming in Somerset.

The story behind it

Glastonbury Abbey was one of the richest monasteries in England, and a great deal of land and produce had to be managed to keep it running. Barns like this one stored the harvest and goods that came in from the abbey's estates. The building is believed to have been put up under Abbot Adam of Sodbury in the 14th century, and it is one of the finest buildings of its kind to survive.

After the abbey was dissolved in the 16th century, the great church fell into ruin, but the barn lived on as a farm building. It now stands within the grounds of the Somerset Rural Life Museum, which uses the site to tell the story of the countryside and the people who worked it.

What to look for

• The sheer scale of the stone walls and the steep roof, which show how much produce the abbey needed to store.
• The gabled porches that give the building its cross-shaped outline, best seen if you walk around the outside.
• The quality of the medieval stonework, a reminder that even a farm building was built to last by a wealthy abbey.
• The contrast between the barn and the farm buildings and museum displays around it, which show how the site has been used over many centuries.

Tips for your visit

• Allow 30 to 60 minutes if you want to see the barn and look around the museum, longer if you like rural history.
• The barn is part of the museum site, so check current opening hours and entry arrangements before you go.
• Bere Lane is a short walk from the centre of Glastonbury, and Glastonbury Abbey is nearby, so the two combine well in one outing.
• Go earlier in the day for quieter surroundings and softer light on the stonework if you want to take photos.

See it on a quest

The Barn is one stop on Scavenger Hunt Glastonbury: Trivia Trail, a self-guided walk through the town played on your phone. You reach the barn on foot as part of a longer route, the app tells you about the place as you arrive, and you solve a puzzle based on what is in front of you. It is a paid quest, and one ticket covers the whole group. You can start whenever you like, with no guide and no group to join.