[19] The intervention by English Heritage led to a protracted dispute over the £30,000 cost of the repairs that was scheduled to come to trial at the High Court of Justice in April 2012. Harmondsworth Great Barn (also known as Manor Farm Barn) is a medieval barn on the former Manor Farm in the village of Harmondsworth, in the London Borough of Hillingdon, England in the historic county of Middlesex). "We can't do anything to the house, there's no point in spending the money on it," he says. [15], In 1544, the manor was taken by King Henry VIII to add to his hunting estate around Hampton Court but he does not appear to have used it, and shortly afterwards he granted it to the Paget family. "[6], It is an outstanding example of a late medieval aisled barn and is the largest timber-framed building in England. In the second of a series of special reports aimed at finding out what people really think about plans to expand the UK's busiest airport, Local Democracy Reporter Martin Elvery spends an evening in the company of the good people of Harmondsworth . Each side of the barn's roof holds 92 tile courses and a total of around 76,000 tiles, which were originally held in place by oak pegs. The traffic systems round here are a complete nightmare..... Off Junction 4 of the M4 at a rate of knots, then a weirdly shaped treacherous roundabout, drivers all over the road...then a sudden switch-back turning down Holloway Lane....why would anyone want to live here anyway? Alternatively, the timbers may have been reused from another construction. Planning permission was granted on the basis that income from the new offices was supposed to pay for ongoing repairs to the barn, following an initial renovation carried out in 1989. Harmondsworth Great Barn is unusual in having three threshing floors, allowing much more grain to be threshed at one time. The community is changing here anyway , it's not the same as it was, more houses are being bought up just to let out now, so the community is changing. This was because the bottom of a tree is always wider than the top; the greater width was needed to accommodate the joints with the beams that support the roof. Our preferred option is to send it to the Thames Water Sewer and this is under review with Thames Water. [2], The manor of Harmondsworth was owned before the Norman Conquest by King Harold Godwinson, but was seized by William the Conqueror after Harold's death at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. A number of community facilities will be affected as part of the Preferred Masterplan. Updated Scheme Development Report – document 4 of 5 However, this still leaves question marks over the barn’s future and in particular, the issues of viability and setting."[20]. [13] The building was greatly admired by the Poet Laureate Sir John Betjeman, who dubbed it "the cathedral of Middlesex". It will create thousands of jobs. They are not at all shocked by today's announcement which has been on the cards, but they staunchly believe that, even if Parliament votes to approve the plans, the courts will rule against them, just as they did in 2010, the last time around. This will need to be distant from residential properties due to risk of odour. "For work it's absolutely brilliant. [16], The receiver offered the barn to Hillingdon Council and English Heritage for £1, but both refused the offer. "[6], The barn is managed by volunteers from the Friends of the Great Barn at Harmondsworth, a local preservation group, acting on behalf of the owners, English Heritage. Instead I find a pub landlord who has recently moved in and is bemused by the whole situation, and a couple of members of the Stop Heathrow Expansion group - a coalition of local councillors, MPs and residents which has been fighting the airport's various expansion schemes for years - quietly supping drinks. Even if they stay here the support services for them in the village are disappearing and they might be forced to move to sheltered housing elsewhere where they don't have a community. There is a tinge of sadness in his eyes but also a level-headed acceptance. Harmondsworth has a beautifully laid out village square with a cute little grocers store, two country pubs and a picturesque 12th Century church which would look great on any chocolate box. In the second of a series of special reports aimed at finding out what people really think about plans to expand the UK's busiest airport, Local Democracy Reporter Martin Elvery spends an evening in the company of the good people of Harmondsworth. [11], The boards on the exterior of the barn are made from a mixture of oak, elm and softwoods such as pine and fir. [17] The farm underwent major changes, with several of the more dilapidated buildings demolished and a new L-shaped office building constructed facing the barn. Extra facilities will also be needed to support the growth of the airport and the infrastructure that will be delivered. Following further engagement with the Home Office and the London Borough of Hounslow a site at Faggs Road between Bedfont and Hatton has emerged as our preferred location, but Mayfield Farm also remains a potential option. [14] It underwent a detailed eighteen-month survey in the late 1980s by the craftsman Peter McCurdy (who later went on to rebuild Shakespeare's Globe theatre), supported by the Museum of London.