Long Crendon Courthouse

Long Crendon Courthouse is a two-storeyed timber-framed building of the late 15th century and only the second property the National Trust ever acquired, bought in 1900 after a fundraising campaign saved it from demolition. Its oak frame of five bays stands beside the parish church, with a jettied upper storey. For four hundred years it was the base for parish activities and the venue for the annual manorial court, which dealt with tithes and crimes such as selling bad fish or brewing without a licence. The ground floor housed the parish poor as early as 1603, and its old name, the Staple Hall, suggests an earlier wool store. Today the ground floor is tenanted and only the upper room is shown, on selected dates, with an exhibition on village life. Reviewers enjoy the old floorboards and the many information boards, and find the village itself worth a wander. One tip from visitors: the stairs to the upper floor are very steep. The Trust notes there is no on-site parking and no toilet.