Landbeach Tudor tithe barn £250k appeal bid launched

The trust hopes the barn will be used for weddings, dances, community events and school visits

An appeal to save a "one-of-a-kind" Grade II-listed tithe barn from redevelopment has been launched.

Tithe Barn Trust aims to raise £250,000 in order to restore the building in Landbeach, Cambridgeshire.

Owner South Cambridgeshire District Council has agreed "in principle" to transfer responsibility for its upkeep to the trust.

The council estimates the early 16th Century barn needs at least £80,000 to be spent on "urgent" repairs.

Tithe Barn Trust working group chairman James Hockney said the restored barn would be used for community events.

The council said "urgently required" work includes re-thatching and frame repairs

He said: "It's an important part of Tudor history - the barn's the only one of its type with its existing brick floor."

Mr Hockney said the trust has "already received £55,000 in anonymous donations" and has set up a friends group.

The building has been owned by the council since 1986 and leased to the Landbeach Society since 1975.

The council said it could not longer afford to maintain it and if villagers did not come up with a way of keeping it in public ownership, the barn would be sold for conversion into a house.