THE Grade I listed Great Barn at East Riddlesden Hall is a 400-year-old testament to the craftsmen who worked incredibly hard to build the magnificent structure.

Trees were felled and riven split to create impressive oak beams. The solid stone flooring was used for threshing in the autumn months once the harvest was brought home.

Sockets can be seen where planks were inserted across the base and part way up the main doors. These would have helped deter the poultry, ducks and geese from wandering in.

Stalls inside the barn held up to 42 animals, and each animal would have been tethered to vertical posts. Signs of life from the wear and tear to these posts can be seen today.

We’ll be bringing architectural and social history alive during the coming months and embracing farming traditions, starting with ‘If This Barn Could Speak’.

These 30-minute talks every Saturday at 1pm and 2.30pm will look at how the Great Barn was constructed, what it was used for and how it helped to support the families who once lived here.

Butter in the Barn is a fun, hands-on activity, which can be enjoyed by the whole family. These sessions take place every Sunday in May at 2pm.

Join our volunteer in the Great Barn find out how butter was traditionally made and have a go at making it yourself.

Other events include:

Historic Coin Collection, Saturday, 10.30am to 4.30pm: Do you know what was more expensive, a Bible or a cow? Pay a visit to the coin collection to discover the historic value of money.

May half-term, May 27 to 31, 12.30pm to 2.30pm: Join us during May half-term, decorate your own pot then plant a pea or bean seed to take home and nurture. Watch the seed grow and flourish into something tasty.

This is a drop-in session with no specific start time.

Herb Border tour, June 5, 1pm to 2pm: Discover more about the amazing properties of herbs and how they’re used in daily life with this tour of the Culpepper-inspired border.

If you’d like to learn more, join us in the house kitchen afterwards for a drop-in cookery demonstration to see some of the herbs being put to good use.

Across Field and Meadow, June 12, 11.30am to 12.30pm: The land at East Riddlesden Hall was traditionally used by the farming community who lived and worked here. Today, it’s home to an array of stunning wildlife.

Join us on a stroll across the fields and meadows to uncover historic traces of this former agricultural estate and soak up the views of the River Aire along the way. Meet in front of the house and wear suitable footwear.

All walks, tours and activities are free but admission charges apply. Free entry is available for National Trust members and all children who are aged under five.

East Riddlesden Hall is open from Saturdays to Wednesdays, 10.30am to 4.30pm. Last admission is 4pm.

Visit nationaltrust.org.uk/east-riddlesden-hall or call 01535 607075 for more details about all the activities at the hall.

lHave you missed any of the previous Hall Of Fame articles in the Keighley News? If so, visit the keighleynews.co.uk website, click on What’s On then Out & About, and they are all there to read at your leisure.