Tithe barns stored the portion of harvests paid by tenants to their landlords, the church. At Ashleworth the barn overshadows the parish church and is described as a giant Noah’s ark of a building. It was owned by St Augustine’s Priory, Bristol that built the stone quay by Ashleworth Ferry to help its exports. The ferry was also important as the towpath from Gloucester crossed the river from east to West Bank there to avoid several streams and a hill.

And here’s an incredible song, John Barleycorn Must Die by Traffic which feels as old as time. It shows the close ties between faith and agriculture that lingered in these islands till modern times