ABOUT
Waxham Great Barn is the longest ancient barn in Norfolk. It is 56m long and was built in the late 16th century by the Woodhouse family. The barn is Grade 1 listed and the site is a Scheduled Monument, located within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
The barn is open to visitors daily, from 10am to 4pm, when the cafe is open.
However, it is not accessible when a wedding is taking place, including set up and clearing up days. If you intend to make a special visit to see the barn it is advisable to check if it will be open by emailing info@waxhambarnweddings.co.uk
The Dunes Café
From March to September the cafe is open daily.
Monday - Friday 10am - 4pm and Saturday and Sunday 9am - 4pm
From October to April the cafe is open - TBC
To contact the cafe please call 01692 598824 and for the latest updates check the Dunes Cafe Waxham Barn Facebook page.
There is parking on site for visitors to the barn and cafe.
Weddings at Waxham
The barn is available to hire for weddings and other events. To find out more or make an enquiry please visit www.waxhambarnweddings.co.uk
History
Waxham Barn was built in the last quarter of the 16th Century and has witnessed over 400 years of change along the wild coastline of north-east Norfolk. The wealthy Woodhouse family built it to display their wealth and status. Over the years the barn has been adapted to cope with changing requirements, originally a store for crops and for threshing corn, it later became a shelter for cattle and machinery.
During the latter half of the 20th century finding an economic use for the barn became difficult and its condition began to decline. in 1987 strong October gales lifted half the roof off and dumped it on the ground as can be seen in the photos below.
Following this disaster Norfolk County Council acquired the barn and major repairs were completed in the early 1990s. In 2003 Norfolk Historic Buildings Trust and Norfolk County Council raised funds to repair the single storey wings , one being converted to a new cafe. This was done as part of the TEACH (training enterprise and assessment in conservation of heritage). Funding came mainly from The Heritage Lottery Fund and East of England Development Agency. Norfolk Historic Buildings Trust took over the lease for the site and continues to care for the property today. Income from hire of the barn for weddings and rent from the cafe contribute towards the upkeep of the site.