WINTERBOURNE’S most historic building is due to reopen for the season later this month.

The trustees of Winterbourne Medieval Barn are holding the first public event of the year, a crank-up day when vintage machinery enthusiasts from Sodbury Vale will start up their vintage engines and machines in the grounds of the magnificent medieval barn.

It takes place on Sunday, April 22 (10am-4pm) and all are welcome. There will also be demonstrations and information on cider-making, basket-weaving, hurdle-making and knotting, plus children’s activities and local food and drink. The event is one of many to be held this year with the aim of encouraging more people to visit the building, learn about its history and enjoy the tithe barn, which is one of the oldest in the country.

Other events include a visit from Michael Eavis, organiser of Glastonbury Festival, who will give a talk on his experiences of restoring Pilton Tithe Barn in Somerset. Mr Eavis will be in Winterbourne for a one day heritage rural regeneration workshop on Friday, May 18 (10am-4pm).

The workshop is being supported by the faculty of environment and technology at the University of the West of England and will include opportunities to hear from a range of experts in historic buildings regeneration, in addition to providing an opportunity for a short walking tour of the heritage landscape surrounding the barn including green lanes and medieval fishponds.

Other events this year include regular barnforce open days where volunteers are invited to help improve the barn and its surrounding area. The next barnforce days take place on Saturday, April 21 and Saturday, May 19 (10am-1pm).

A music concert of medieval songs, performed by Bristol University's Schola Cantorum, is being held at the barn on Friday, May 25 (7pm), a medieval fair will take place on Saturday, June 16 (11am-5pm) and there will be performances of Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro on Friday, July 6 and Saturday, July 7 and of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night on Friday, August 3.

For further information on any of the events and how to get tickets visit www.winterbournebarn.co.uk