Like any other building, the Landbeach tithe barn needs looking after if it is to be kept in good condition. Below, our Chair Kate Doak-Keszler explains why regular maintenance mornings are a vital part of the Trust’s work if it is to fulfill its goal of ensuring the long-term survival of the barn as a valued community asset and outlines how you can make a contribution to preserving this ancient building.

Back in 2019, the Tithe Barn Trust was involved in major restoration work to both stabilise the structure and rethatch the roof. This type of corrective maintenance always gets attention, because it involves major work and results in major change to the appearance of a building. What gets far less attention is the regular, ongoing preventative maintenance that the Trust oversees today. 

We all know the saying – an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. For buildings, it might be more accurate to say a penny  of preservation is worth a couple hundred pounds of restoration! This is even more critical when we are considering a historic building, where the loss of the original fabric of the building means losing an irreplaceable piece of history. As an example of the costs of deterioration, 2019’s restoration work put right decades of relative neglect at a cost of over £100,000. As the saying above suggests, it is far cheaper to put the work in now to prevent the financial pain later. 

The cornerstone of our proactive approach is our quarterly volunteer days, where we invite our community to come and help with outdoor maintenance and barn cleaning. These are a major part of the barn’s preservation and a key activity. On the one hand, this team effort helps us to ensure the barn and grounds see regular upkeep and inspection. On the other, it helps our community feel connected to and invested in the barn  as a valued local asset worthy of preservation.  

These quarterly volunteer days at the barn help the Trust keep up a schedule of basic housekeeping. By far the greatest danger to any historic building is disuse, which allows for deterioration to set in unchecked. In addition to the programme of events in the barn, having a maintenance list that includes putting eyes and hands on the building ensures that, even when the barn is not in regular use, it is still being minded. 

Another important aspect of these maintenance days is helping the Trust schedule regular inspections of the building and site. By documenting these inspections with photos and notes, we are able to track changes and monitor the condition of the barn and provide preventative maintenance before we have serious issues. It also makes it easier to recognize and develop corrective actions in the case of unforeseen events such as accidents or extreme weather where barn or grounds are negatively impacted. 

GENERAL OVERVIEW OF OUR QUARTERLY ANNUAL SCHEDULE

Typically, on a maintenance day we are on site from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm, and it is the perfect time not only to help keep our barn in tip-top shape, but also to check out the site and, for those new to the barn, to get a brief tour. This is what we have planned for this year:

FEBRUARY: OUTDOOR MAINTENANCE

• Trim back vegetation along pathways as needed – we are lucky to have beautiful blackberry-bearing bramble bushes, but they require a firm hand so they don’t take over our pathways!
• Check the barn for any bird-proofing measures needed before nesting starts, and for signs that we have any problems with the little furry friends who like to camp out in the barn over the winter. 
• Carry out planting of new shrubs and trees – and check on those planted the year prior.

Planting fruit trees; Bench building; Bench testing!

APRIL: BARN CLEANING

• Inspect the roof and the cladding on the sides of the barn – are there any cracks? Is there any staining or plant growth that might suggest issues with water infiltration? This is really important in timber buildings as excessive water leads to rot!
• Do a full inventory of equipment and supplies, especially to replace any expired items of the first aid kit.
• Sweep out the barn to remove leaf debris, cobwebs and dust that has collected over the winter.

JULY: OUTDOOR MAINTENANCE

• Keep all that summer growth in check! Not  only do the pathways need trimming, but keeping the grass in front of the barn mowed (while maintaining some of the lovely wildflowers that grow here) is important for making sure people can get in and out of the barn. 

OCTOBER: OUTDOOR MAINTENANCE

• Time to prep the barn for winter as we come to the end of our open season. 
• Clear out unwanted items and pack away equipment and supplies for next year. 

Other important tasks that take place year round are regular visits from our pest control service, checking the fire extinguishers and keeping the ecoloos clean. However, it’s not all work – we take breaks and share snacks and drinks and are very happy to show people around this wonderful medieval building. 

For 2026 our maintenance days are set for;

February – Saturday 21st

April – Saturday 18th

July – Saturday 25th

October – Saturday 17th

Everyone is welcome. Whilst cleaning, gardening and maintenance skills are valuable, experience is NOT essential, just come along in sensible clothing and footwear and with a willingness to pitch-in and help. It’s not all work so some snacks to share would be great too!

To find out more look under ‘events’ on our website or contact us on tithebarn@gmail.com 

The Tithe Barn Trust depends on the efforts of many people to help it fulfil its task of ensuring the future of the iconic Landbeach tithe barn as a valued community asset for all to enjoy. All our volunteers bring something important to the barn from simply helping out at an event through to making a longer term, more formal commitment. To give an idea of a volunteer’s experience Iain Cross, who is standing down from his role as Treasurer, tells us a little about himself, why he enjoys being involved with the Tithe Barn Trust and what he has gained from fulfilling the key role of treasurer.

I first came into contact with the Tithe Barn Trust after being spotted on the Reach Volunteering website by the Chair at the time, Gemma O’Shea. Having moved up to Cambridge from London a couple of years earlier, I was looking for a worthwhile cause to actively support and the Trust’s goal of preserving a rare timber-framed barn & future as a local asset fitted the bill. The Trust was seeking a Treasurer. I offered myself as a candidate and was pleased to be chosen. This was back in May 2021. Since then, I have been intimately involved in the both the finances of the Trust and more generally supporting the Chair and committee in developing plans and activities that are helping the Trust realise its goals.

As you would expect, for any enterprise the stewarding of finances is a very significant role: to ensure that all funds are recorded in a transparent manner, are used wisely and meet the requirements of The Charity Commission and any Grant providers. Whilst it is undeniably important, this does make the role sound rather more onerous than it is. In practice the role is a relatively light one so long as appropriate processes are in place. The most significant activity is the preparation and submission of the annual accounts for internal & external scrutiny, made easier through clear processes and an easy-to-use system for recording all income and expenditure. More generally, as Treasurer, I also play a part in shaping the activities of the Trust and providing another perspective on proposed developments and activities.

So what has been achieved during my tenure?

Internally, the overriding achievement is that the Trust has a clear overview of the finances at all times, reassuring the trustees and providing the committee the financial information they need to help make decisions. This has been made easier through the creation of clear, comprehensive & detailed Excel-based spreadsheets that enable quick and easy interrogation of the finances when required, supported by clear and simple processes that ensure all funds are handled in an open and transparent manner. Externally, each year we claim additional funds from HMRC through the Gift Aid scheme.

Why am I standing down? Well, it is not for any negative reasons as I still feel the Tithe Barn Trust is engaged in a really worthwhile task. So I hope to maintain an active interest. However, I am stepping back so that I can focus my treasury-type attention on my other charity for which the workload is much greater, the Cambridge fundraising arm of the Sick Children’s Trust (which provides accommodation to support the families of sick children during their stay in Addenbrookes hospital).

L-R: Explaining the finer points of dessert. Making a point (performing?) at the AGM

Why might you want to take on a role like this? Well, I have gained from this role in a number of ways:

• It has given me a very practical exposure to the joys – and challenges – of volunteering.
• It’s a link to Cambridge, its long history and many cultural activities.
• It has helped me keep my hand in on matters financial and have created a reliable set of finance procedures and practices.
• I have had the satisfaction of making a clear contribution to helping the Trust achieve its desired future.
• I have met and made friends with a very likeable group of dedicated and energetic people.

The Tithe Barn Trust is entering a new and exciting phase of its development. Following a number of years in which the focus was largely on fundraising to prevent the barn from falling into ruin, the Trust is now looking towards securing the barn’s future as a valued asset providing a range of activities and opportunities for everyone in and around the Cambridge area. Along with activity on the ground the next Treasurer will develop a wider and more forward-looking role working closely with the Chair to advise and discuss actions that will grow the revenue base to ensure the sustainability of the trust as well as supporting the development of the commercial aspects of the charity.

Although I am standing down as Treasurer I hope to remain as a Trustee and to take an active interest in the preservation of this wonderful medieval timber-framed building.

We are hunting for a new Treasurer. Financial qualifications and experience is NOT an essential for this. What is needed is a willingness to attend around six committee meetings year and to ensure smooth running of the Trust’s finances. Could this be you? Perhaps one of your friends? Contact our Chair Kate Doak-Keszler via tithebarntrust@gmail.com for an informal chat.