History

Over 200 years of history
sculpted into A Barn

Since 1973, this barn has been home to pigs, chickens and dairy cows farmed by five generations of the Ayling family from Houghton, nestled within the South Downs National Park.

After a chequered history of wear and tear and years of planning, local farmers, Robert and Susan Ayling, began building A Barn at South Downs Stay in April 2017.

They have enjoyed restoring several of the barn’s original timber and thatch features to make this luxury modern country barn conversion the perfect unique getaway, full of history and craftsmanship.

Explore the history of A Barn and our journey of the build.