The great tithe barn at Drayton St. Leonard was required to hold tithes paid in kind for the support of church and clergy. It was built by the monks of Dorchester Abbey. Like the greater part of the Abbey itself it dates from the fifteenth century and may have been built as early as 1340. The monastic guest house of the Abbey is now a museum and it seems appropriate that the Barn should have a similar future.

It is a particularly rare and fine example of a large medieval timber-framed structure and is perhaps the most historic and best preserved building of its kind. It is Grade II* listed and none of the proposed alternative uses suggested over the years were able to promise the retention of the main and secondary framing in its original form. However, the Club and Trust acheived this.

The massive elm frame is in astonishingly good condition and many of the roof tiles on its steep and substantial roof were re-used in the restoration.The huge beams provide an open space with various bays but no internal divisions, giving great flexibility in layout. The walls are clad with tarred elm boards and after refurbishment, using modern insulation techniques, running costs are low.

As a venue the Barn offers a unique location for meetings and conferences, and has proved to be most attractive to event organisers looking to find something out of the ordinary to please their guests. The Barn is available for private hire with seating for up to 80.

The Barn has recently been fitted with state of the art audio-visual equipment; including a digital projector, surround-sound, and roving and fixed microphones.

The Trust are proud to have acquired and have custody of the earliest surviving Aston Martin in the world. The third ever made, this is a very important part of Aston history. A3, using the early side valve engine, and rather flexible chassis, first saw the light of day in 1921. It had a very active early life as a prototype, demonstrator and racer. As was common in those days it underwent, both mechanically and bodily, continuous development and modification. By the 1930s, in private hands, it seemed to be just an old car, and was hardly recognisable for what it once was. That it survived those early years isfortunate, that it remains in complete condition is even more remarkable, and made the sympathetic restoration of this important car all the more imperative. The Aston Martin Heritage Trust has restored A3 back to top condition, and to its earlier form.

A3 Restoration Story and Unveiling

Donated to the Trust by Peter Livanos, a majorb benefactor and one-time part owner of Aston Martin, the Lagonda is an example of the William Towns designed executive express revealed to a startled motoring public in 1975. Still an arresting design to this day, this Series 3 model, dating from 1986, still attracts the most immediate attention from unsuspecting visitors! Perhaps less well understood is that although often considered as a white elephant, with 645 made (about a third of which went to the Middle East), this model can be credited with playing a major part in the survival of Aston Martin through some very lean times.

Transferred into the care of The Aston Martin Heritage Trust in 1998, this 1934 Ulster is one of the four 2/4 seat cars among the 21 production Ulsters made. It was owned up to his death in 1978 by Lewis Treece, at which time it was bequeathed to the Club. The 1495 cc engined tourer is kept in top mechanical order, road registered and ready. It is available for use by Club and Trust members to visit suitable events where the activities of the Trust and Club can be publicised.

Use of the Ulster Policy

After an absence of many years, Aston Martin re-entered sports racing and the prototype AMR1/01 was presented to the AML board at Newport Pagnell on 23rd October 1988. Testing proceeded throughout the winter sufficiently well for an official announcement to be made on 25 January 1989 that Aston Martin would race the 6 litre car officially at Le Mans and in the WSC Championship for which it would be eligible in 1989 and 1990. A five year, £26 million programme was envisaged, underwritten by the Livanos family and initially with limited sponsorship from Mobiloil. For Le Mans two cars were entered and Ray Mallock, David Leslie and other drivers were recruited into the team. The AMR1/01 (No. 18) driving team of Brian Redman, Michael Roe and Costas Los. finished 11th. 5 cars were built but the programme was abandoned early in 1990 when the rules were not considered suitably stable. AMR1/01 has been kindly donated to the Trust by Peter Livanos.

Image: David Brown desk and chair

The barn is a magnificent setting to display the extensive collection of memorabilia, gifts and objects on loan. The magnificent 14 feet high trophy cabinet, donated by Aston Martin Lagonda, displays many of the trophies won by Aston Martin in motor sport. A further display cabinet, spanning the width of the barn at the opposite end, displays a fascinating and varied collection of motoring and Aston Martin ephemera, together with the extensive collection of scale models, masterminded by Richard Loveys, who is one of the trustees. Among other items is a charming desk penholder given to us by Paul Skinner. Made in ebonite, it displays an Aston Martin car badge and said to have been at Feltham.

Adding colour to our display is a leather- top desk, a swivel chair, and drinks cabinet said to have been used by David Brown. They have been lent to the Trust by Dr. Tom Rollason. In addition to this the Trust now owns the boardroom table used at Newport Pagnell during the David Brown era.

Acting as a backdrop to all this is a series of descriptive wall panels, depicting the manufacturing history and cars of Aston Martin from the earliest days right up to the present.

There is much more than we can describe here. Only a visit will reveal all!