Wheelchair access to the barn & disabled toilet. Gas lighting adds to the atmosphere from the real log fires and there is a great choice of hotels and guest houses close by for those not wishing to drive home.

Look around with video

For information about the construction, Contact Robert Aynesworth robaynesworth@yahoo.co.uk

From the Yorkshire Post "WHEN your heart is set on having a wedding reception in a medieval timber-framed barn nothing else will do, so Rob Aynesworth built his own  with a little help from family and some traditional craftsmen. The result is an authentic replica of a Tudor cruck barn believed to be the first of its kind to be built in the Dales since Henry VIII was on the throne. It was completed just in time for Mr Aynesworth's wedding tomorrow to his fiance Alison Thornton when the barn at the Craven Arms in Appletreewick will host their reception. Mr Aynesworth's father, David, had already restored a 1930s Bentley and a Whitby fishing coble. The cruck barn was another long-held dream and the ideal way to complete the restoration of the Craven Arms, which he owns. It is a replica of a cruck barn from Barden, which was taken down and rebuilt at Shibden Hall, Halifax, but burned down soon afterwards. David Aynesworth said: "Luckily we found photos and drawings which we used to ensure a faithful reconstruction. "Cruck barns are constructed around an 'A' frame of green, unseasoned, oak. Once dry they contort to take on a character not possible using modern materials." But the replica had to meet building regulations and one of the challenges was insulation. The barn uses sheep fleeces treated to remove the lanolin to make them fire resistant. Mr Aynesworth said: "Being traditional, it was exactly what we were looking for." The barn also pays tribute to craftsmanship of Tudor builders. "I have always loved these buildings," Mr Aynesworth added, " If you think about it they were very low-tech when compared to modern structures, but the truth is they worked very well. "We wanted to replicate as far as possible the methods employed and in doing so used local stone for the walls, unseasoned oak for the floorboards, as well as the crucks, and traditional 'black thak' heather for the thatch." Wharfedale's country estates were keen to support the project. Bolton Abbey provided heather from surrounding moors and oak timbers, while Broughton Hall offered green oak for the main structure." 01 December 2006 Yorkshire Post. Brian Dooks