Originally built in 1499, Hodge's Piece, as Hodge's Barn was known, was a columbarium, a giant dovecote housing doves for the big house, Hodge's, which once stood 50 yards to the north. This house burnt down in 1556 and was deserted, leaving just the columbarium which was used as occasional storage for farm wagons.
The building was sold in 1938 and the new owners began the task of converting the space within the ancient walls into a charming family house. War interrupted their plans, however, and the house again stood empty until it was bought in 1948 by the Hon. Mrs Arthur Strutt.
She completed the conversion and carved the garden out of the pitted, stony, bramble-covered ground around the house. Her work has been given continued life by the Hornby family.
The aerial view (penultimate picture) shows from left to right: Glebe House, the Church of St. John the Baptist, and the footprint of the former terraces of Hodge's Piece. To the right of the shadow next to the footprint and just out of the photograph is Hodge's Barn.
(Click on the images to enlarge them).
