Pilton Tithe Barn is one of four surviving barns originally belonging to Glastonbury Abbey. On 23 June 1963 lightning set fire to the thatched roof and destroyed everything except the stone walls. It remained a wreck until Michael Eavis, organiser of the Glastonbury Festival, bought it in 1995, and presented the barn to the Pilton Barn Trust.
It was eventually restored with a grant from English Heritage and a donation from the Glastonbury Festival. The work was carried out by McCurdy and Co who reproduced the original roof as faithfully as possible. It is in the same cruciform desing as Glastonbury Abbey Barn itself, it has a raised cruck roof and the symbols of the four evangelists on the four gables. Surprisingly it is larger than the barn in Glastonbury Abbey’s home farm, being nine bays long rather than seven.
It is now administered by a trust and used as a community and wedding venue. It may be open during Heritage Open Days and at other times. Check the website for more information.
