As many of you will know, the Greater Cambridge Partnership (GCP)* has unveiled proposals* for a guided busway and park & ride to be built to link Waterbeach New Town with Cambridge. Two routes (the ‘Western’ and ‘Central’ routes) are under consideration and both will run close to Landbeach, significantly affecting the rural setting of the village. Further, the ‘Central’ option will pass close to the historic Tithe Barn in Landbeach.
Below you can read the Trust’s submission to the recent consultation objecting to the central route and propsed nearby park & ride area, bus loop and bus interchange.
Over the last couple of years, James Kilby of Koko Signs and Paint has been making a great contribution to helping us promote the barn and its events using his considerable artistic talents to create bright, memorable signs that really capture the spirit of the place. Below he tells us a little about himself, how he came to be a signwriter and why he enjoys working with the Tithe Barn Trust.
Hi. I am James, I’m 41 years old and based in Upwood in Cambridgeshire along with my wife Darlene and three grown children; a 22 year old daughter and two boys of 18 and 17. Before taking my arts more seriously my working life was as a welder and fabricator but I had always been into art and had very often done custom paintwork, whether it was with brush, airbrush or aerosol. I then found myself learning to tattoo and made my way into studios. While doing this I reconnected with an old friend from school who was working as a traditional sign writer and seeing his work inspired me to give this a go. Soon after starting I recalled my growing up and going to steam fairs and my love of canal boats and remember loving the vibrant paintwork for which I now had a much bigger appreciation for and loved the idea that I could do my bit in keeping an old trade alive, also knowing that there maybe signs of mine still around in years to come, and this is how Koko Signs and Paint came about.
There are two main pleasures from this work. One is having a happy smiling client as this shows me I’ve done well and given the client what they want; and two is when I get to see my work years later still going strong and this gives me a real sense of pride. The most challenging side of the work for me is the design process when I am given more free reign on the design; I often have so many ideas going through my head that I end up making it more difficult for myself to make the final decision. Developing my skills is the same as any job or hobby for anybody, I just keep practising or, as a saying I heard, ‘keep on keeping on’ which led to the abbreviation for my business – Koko. An aspect I love is the sheer variety of what I am asked to do. I can be doing a custom skateboard deck one day and restoring a village sign the next, designing motorcycle tank art or producing traditional-style canal art. Other than this it’s great to see others’ work and their design and work processes as there are always tips, tricks or even new products to try and see if it makes life easier.
It was during the midst of Covid when work was slow that I came across an advert seeking supporters for the Tithe Barn Trust and Landbeach tithe barn. I had a great chat and meeting with Gemma O’Shea (Trust Chair at the time) where it was decided that I could do something to help with their cause by producing attractive traditional-looking sign boards.
Saturday 30th April. 09.00 – 13.00. Free. All welcome
Come and enjoy some fresh air and good company at Landbeach Tithe Barn this Saturday 30th April 2022.
We will be cleaning and restoring our furniture to make it ready for this year’s events. We will be working from 9am – 1pm and everyone is welcome to come at any time and to stay for as long as liked. No experience is necessary as you will be given tuition however experts in furniture restoration are particularly welcome.
Your efforts will make a valued contribution to improving the barn for our visitors. There are further details in the poster below and if you have any other questions or would like to learn more please email tithebarntrust@gmail.com
We’ve done it! A year after its launch the ‘Spend a Penny’ campaign has reached its £30,000 target – thanks to the Postcode Places Trust, a major anonymous personal gift and donations of all sizes from many other local supporters.
‘Spend a Penny’ will enable the installation of two eco-friendly ‘Kazubaloos’ for use by all those visiting or using Landbeach tithe barn, greatly enhancing its value as a local community asset. A great fundraising effort has been capped off by a generous £17,819 grant by thePostcode Places Trust that will enable these loos and also cycle racks to be put into place.
Gemma O’Shea, Tithe Barn Trust chair commented: ‘It is thrilling that we have reached our target and our greatest thanks go to all who have contributed. We are especially pleased that the Postcode Places Trust has recognised the added community value that these loos and cycle racks will bring via the tithe barn to Landbeach and our surrounding communities.’
A BIG thank you to the Postcode Places Trust
The rest of the funding came from donations from the general public via our TotalGiving page so we’d also very much like to thank all 66 donors, one of whom donated a massive £10,000. We couldn’t have done it without you all.
Also many thanks to our team of fantastic volunteers for all their work and great local publicity by local media outlets, including BBC Radio Cambridgeshire, Cambridge 105 FM, Cambridge News, and Cambridge Independent.
We very much hope that our new loos will be in place by May 2022 so watch this space for news of events next summer that will celebrate this major step forward and capitalise on these enhanced facilities.
Landbeach Tithe Barn is excited to join in the 2021 Heritage Open Days festival on Saturday 18th September with events and activities on offer throughout the day.
As an agricultural building formerly involved in food production and storage, the tithe barn is the perfect location reflecting this year’s Heritage Open Days theme of ‘Edible England’. The timber granary where food was stored is still visible as is the brick threshing floor where crops including wheat were beaten to extract the grain.
In addition to viewing our wonderful barn, this free event offers events and activites for the family. There will be knowledgeable trust members on-site to answer questions and all activities are free for children and families to enjoy. Doors open at 11.00 a.m. with last entry at 4:30 p.m. There’s no need to book; just turn up and enjoy.
There will be lots to do:
11.00 Doors open
11.30 Story Reading
For children there will be a reading of the delightful tale of ‘The Little Red Hen’ and her determination to bake some bread to be followed by a demonstration of how to produce flour using a ‘quern’ – a traditional gringing stone.
1.30 & 2.30 Medieval dance
Members of the Capriol Society for Early Dance will be on hand in period costume to demonstrate medieval-themed traditional dances – with audience participation encouraged! For more details see their website ( https://capriolsocietyforearlydance.wordpress.com ).
Capriol Dancers at Stourbridge Fair. Used with permission.
Throughout the day
Demonstrations of how grain was ground into flour using a traditional grinding stone – or ‘quern’ with opportunities for children to try their hand.
For smaller children and their parents there will be a ‘small world’ touch tray with a selection of wooden toys to play with.
Grinding wheat.
4.30 Last entry
All events and activities will be Covid-compliant with hand sanitisers available and regular cleaning and clear signage to help ensure both visitors and organisers stay safe and can enjoy a relaxing day out. We request that visitors bring a mask with them.
Make a day of it
Beyond the tithe barn, Landbeach is full of history; why not make a morning or afternoon of your visit and also look at the lovely parish church of All Saints which dates back to the 13th century with much medieval woodwork remaining. Also worth a look is Worts Meadow. Now a local nature reserve the meadow is a former medieval settlement site, with a surviving homestead moat and fish pond, and earthworks showing the location of roads and houses.
Melanie Hale, Chair of Landbeach Parish Council and trustee says:
“The Trust is delighted to be contributing to this year’s Heritage Open Days festival. Landbeach tithe barn was an integral part of local food production for hundreds of years and this makes it a perfect location for this year’s festival theme of ‘Edible England’.
‘Covid Dreams’ is a fully immersive audio and visual art installation at the Tithe Barn, this June, by artists Pain and Gayer-Anderson.
Two local artists reflect on a year of siege from the intangible, a landscape where you cannot save yourself but you can save others.
Gideon Pain’s work plays on the mundane and every day that we slip through on our way to somewhere else. It is about collective moments, some tragic and some euphoric, when the sharing of an experience gives significance to something unnoticed.
Theo Gayer-Anderson has been exploring dystopia in a series of installations for many years and now finds present day events eclipsing his own visions of the future.
All set within the unique grade II listed, timber-frame Tithe Barn. The temporary installation will be free for the public to view on Saturday 12th, Sunday 13th, Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th June. Pre-booking encouraged. Book your free timed tickets today at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/tithe-barn-trust-27492103979
The Tithe Barn Trust is excited to announce that local sculptor and installation artist Theo Gayer-Anderson will be exhibiting ‘Oracle’ at the Tithe Barn, in Landbeach, near Cambridge.
Theo says “Oracle is a fully immersive audio and visual installation that celebrates the rise of jellyfish in our toxic oceans and draws attention to the very real and imminent dangers of climate change. The Tithe Barn makes for the perfect setting to showcase my work.”
The installation artwork will occupy the entire timber frame Tithe Barn, so that the spectator has to walk through in order to engage fully with the work of art. What makes installation art different from sculpture or other traditional art forms is that it is a complete unified experience, rather than a display of separate, individual artworks. The focus on how the viewer experiences the work and the desire to provide an intense experience for them is a dominant theme in installation art.
The Landbeach Tithe Barn is one of just a handful of buildings of its type remaining in Cambridgeshire. Ours is unique with so many historic features such as a thatched roof, elm timber frame, timber granary and brick threshing floor. Experts believe the barn may well date to the medieval period.
The temporary installation will be free for the public to view on Saturday 10th, Sunday 11th, Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th October by timed entry. A limited number of tickets are now available to pre-book at https://tithebarntrust.org.uk/learning/2020-events/ . Booking essential, so book now to avoid disappointment.
3 Ways YOU can get involved in the Tithe Barn project;
Visit the Tithe Barn and come along to one of our next events. Keep checking www.tithebarntrust.org.uk to find out more. We are closely following Government advice regarding Covid-19, so please do check this page regularly for updates.
Landbeach Tithe Barn is excited to join in the Heritage Open Days festival this September. This event, with free entry, offers the opportunity to see the beautiful newly re-thatched roof and the skilful work done to restore the timber structure (dating back to medieval times). There will be knowledgeable trust members on-site to answer questions and, reflecting the Heritage Open Days theme of ‘Hidden Nature’, there will be a free Hidden Nature I-Spy for children. Like all Heritage Open Days events, it’s completely free to take part!
To meet social distancing guidelines visitor numbers on-site at any one time will be limited so timed tickets must be booked in advance via the link below. Hand sanitisers will available and clear signage will also help ensure both visitors and organisers stay safe and can enjoy a relaxing day out. If you’d like to take a look inside the Barn, please bring and wear a mask.
Landbeach is full of history; why not make a morning or afternoon of your visit and also look at the lovely parish church of All Saints which dates back to the 13th century with much medieval woodwork remaining. Also worth a look is Worts Meadow. Now a local nature reserve Worts Meadow is a former medieval settlement site, with a surviving homestead moat and fish pond, and earthworks showing the location of roads and houses.
Melanie Hale, Chair of Landbeach Parish Council and trustee says:
“The Trust is thrilled to be contributing to this year’s Heritage Open Days festival. We are working hard to ensure the future of our wonderful tithe barn so why not come and see the progress we’ve made in the last 12 months.”
Annie Reilly, Head of Producing at Heritage Open Days says:
“Heritage Open Days is about connecting people so we can uncover and share the amazing stories of the places, spaces, heritage and history around us.”
Visit the Tithe Barn and come along to one of our next events. Keep checking http://www.tithebarntrust.org.uk to find out more. We are closely following Government advice regarding Covid-19, so please do check this page regularly for updates.
Have you booked your FREE tickets yet? The Tithe Barn Trust is inviting you to enjoy your own socially distanced picnic on Sunday 16th August, with the stunning backdrop of the historic, timber frame Tithe Barn.
Pre-booking is essential at www.tithebarntrust.org.uk/learning/2020-events/ . As numbers are limited, you can book your 15-minute arrival timeslot from 12 noon and then you’re welcome to stay until 3pm. We’re looking forward to seeing you there.
Carols at the Tithe Barn was the perfect way to start our festive season, so thank you to everyone for making this event so special. Visitors were able to escape the commercialisation of Christmas and sang classic carols such as Silent Night and Away in the Manger.
Of course we have to thank our volunteers too. Gemma O’Shea, Volunteer Chair of Trustees, says “We’re so lucky to have such dedicated volunteers who willingly give their time. As the event was free to everyone and we’re a small charity working with a tiny budget we have to be really resourceful. Maggie, one of our fabulous volunteers, used lots of foliage with holly and ivy foraged from the garden to create some traditional hand tied arrangements to hang around the unique timber frame Tithe Barn. Our thanks have to go to Tesco Milton also for donating mulled wine and mince pies for the event.
A hidden gem in the heart of Landbeach, Cambridgeshire
Tithe Barn Trust 