Nailsea’s Tithe Barn will be officially opened with a programme of exciting and historical events on Saturday

THE long-awaited opening of the newly refurbished Tithe Barn in Nailsea will be celebrated in style this Saturday.

The Tithe Barn is one of Nailsea’s oldest buildings, dating from around 1480, and guests will be able to take part in guided tours, chat to historical characters and enjoy music, dancing and memorabilia of days gone by from 12pm onwards.

Guests can go along dressed in Medieval, Victorian or war time costumes and they will be greeted by Medieval lords, ladies, peasants and stern Victorian school masters and mistresses.

A wide range of activities have been planned for the day including maypole dancing at 1pm, the Acorns folk group at 2pm and Twice Dailies Adge Cutler Tribute Band celebrating songs from old Somerset at 3pm.

As it used to be a school, many former pupils will also be visiting the building on the day to take a trip down memory lane.

The Tithe Barn Trust and Nailsea Town Council are proud to officially open the grade II* listed building, which is now available to hire for a wide range of activities including meetings, social events, wedding receptions, craft fairs, dance performances and classes.

The restoration has been possible thanks to the tireless work of The Tithe Barn Trust, local fundraising, Nailsea Town Council, Holy Trinity Church and the support of the Heritage Lottery Fund.

David Francis, chairman of the Tithe Barn Trust, said: “The Barn has been lovingly restored into a fabulous community venue thanks to 10 years hard work and fantastic effort by local people and partnerships.

“It’s a place of inspiration and will become a hive of activity for a diverse range of groups and community activities for the people of Nailsea.

“The barn has excellent acoustics, is fully accessible and has modern facilities for every type of function. The gorgeous oak timbered roof and beautiful stonework echo its past – it really is Nailsea’s little gem with a big 500 year story to tell.”

To find out more about hiring the barn call 01275 855277 or email: liz@nailseatowncouncil.gov.uk