History & Heritage

Little Barrington Estate combines centuries of history, family stewardship, and sustainable farming in the Cotswolds.

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Little Barrington Estate sits in the Windrush Valley, a quiet corner of the Cotswolds with a long history of farming and family stewardship.

The poet Alexander Pope once wrote that “At Barrington shall English bounty stand”, reflecting the area’s long-standing connections with English life and culture.

The estate consists of farmland, riverbank meadows and several properties, including the historic, Grade II listed manor house, Barrington Grove. Built in the early 1600s from local Cotswold stone, it's characteristic gables and mullioned windows make it a carefully preserved example of traditional Cotswold architecture. Barrington Grove, along with most other properties on the estate, are privately rented.

The estate has remained in the Mills family for nearly 250 years after it was bought by Giles Greenaway in 1779, with successive generations maintaining the land, properties, and woodland, preserving both its character and its place in the Cotswold landscape.

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The industries that shaped the landscape and character of Little Barrington leave a legacy still visible today.

Barrington Stone

Stone from Barrington was once transported down the Windrush and Thames to London for repairs to Westminster Abbey. Local mason Thomas Strong, regarded by Sir Christopher Wren as one of England’s finest, laid the foundation stone for St. Paul’s Cathedral. Strong also funded a lane connecting two bridges across the Windrush, known today as Strong’s Causeway, which still links Little Barrington and Great Barrington.

Barrington Paper Mill

Barrington Mill, built in 1794 was a water-powered mill that once formed part of the  extensive paper industry in the area. The mill was closed in 1846 but there is still evidence of the industrial past in the surviving mill building and riverbank. The main mill building and surrounding cottages have now been converted into residential cottages and are privately rented.