Prior to the dissolution of the monasteries, the manor of Croxley, like so many other manors in southwest Hertfordshire, belonged to the Abbey of St Albans. The farm was allocated to the abbey's cellarer and it supplied the abbey with grain for the monks' food and drink, barley being used to make malt. This area of southwest Hertfordshire had very fertile land in those days and the farm was very profitable.

Entries in the St Albans Abbey Chronicles give a few details about the building of the barn. Sometime between 1396 and 1401, Abbot John paid 100 marks (about £66) for making a very large barn and other buildings at Croxley. (Gesta Abbatum Monasterii Sancti Albani 1396-1401, p 447).

Given to the Monastery of St Albans by Offa, King of Mercia (757-796), at the Dissolution in the 1540s the Manor of Croxley became Crown land and was tenanted by William Baldwin under a 44 year lease. It was sold in 1557 to Dr Caius who was educated at Gonville College, Cambridge. He endowed and greatly enlarged the College, obtaining permission from Queen Mary (1553-1558) to be a cofounder and to change its name to Gonville and Caius College.

The Manor and barn were owned by the College from that time until 1972 when the barn and part of the adjoining land were effectively donated to Hertfordshire County Council to form part of the enlarged St. Joan of Arc School complex. The roof finally collapsed some time after the transfer, and the County Council then undertook extensive repairs and some alterations to the barn, before handing it to the school in 1975.

1327    Richard of Wallingford returns from confirmation as Abbot of St Albans by the Pope

             at Avignon to St Albans ‘landing in England, he came to his Manor of Crokesly for

            rest and repose, here he found himself afflicted by a severe pain in his left eye,

            which brought on a total blindness.’ (Newcome Pg 215)

1340    Black Death. 

1381    Poll Tax protests, Wat Tyler murdered by Mayor of London in presence of Richard II.

1396-1401 Abbot John Moote. Croxley Great Barn built.

1398    Harpendenbury Farm: Kinsbourne Barn built by Westminster Abbey (similar to

            Croxley)

1399    Richard II deposed & killed in prison. Henry IV (Bolingbroke) declared King.

1400    Geoffrey Chaucer believed to have died - no record of his death, no grave, and no

            commemoration.

1520’s Cardinal Wolsey became Abbot of St Albans. Sometime resident at The Moor whilst

            Lord Chancellor to Henry VIII until dismissed 1529.

1536-40 Dissolution of monasteries.

1538?  Manor of Croxley leased by Crown for 44 years to William Baldwin.

1547    Bequeathed to sons Thomas & Richard.

1557    Manors of Croxley and of Snells Hall purchased by John Keys (Latin: Caius) from

            Queen Mary (1553-58) for £461 = 20yrs annual rent value.

1557    Caius obtained Charter of Foundation for Gonville & Caius College and donated

            Manor of Croxley to the College.

1570    John Caius wrote ‘Treatise on Englishe Dogges’ first ref to characteristics of Border

            Collie.

1640’s  Cromwell’s troops allegedly billeted in barn. (evidence welcome)

1692-1868 Farm tenanted by Bovington family (?)

1796    James Bovington in arrears of Tithe rent to John Alexander, Vicar of Rickmansworth.

1804    Legal action: Bovington v Strutt.

1868    Mrs Bovington on G&C ‘Quit Register’- now ‘T Warwick Esq.’ then ‘Shirley West.’

1894    A pair of cottages built close to barn for £365.

1900?  Tenant Charles Samson (watercress grower)

1909    Visited by surveyor for Royal Commission on Historic Monuments- photographed,

            Report published 1910 by HMSO.

1912    Photographs of barn used as illustration in ‘Biog History of G&C College’ Vol IV.

1921    Watford Observer prints large sketch of barn by W E Edwards and brief ‘history’ 

1951    Min of Housing&LG designate barn Grade III, admit error in Sept of that year and

            promise reclassification.

1962/3 Press reports and photo of severely collapsing roof etc: continued unchecked until

            Aug/73.

1963    Press report: E P Weller, Bursar of G&C College offers it as a gift to Rickmansworth

            UDC.

1970    ‘Listed Building’ regrading confirmed: now Grade II*

9/1972 Property Deeds transfer ownership from G&C College to Herts.County Council.

8/1973 Renovation commenced by County Architect, proposed cost £17000+ £4500 Gov

            Grant. ‘will take some months’

9/1975 Restoration completed (2 years), timbers sent for dendro dating and barn avail for St

            Joan School. The final cost and the whereabouts of the specifications /working

            drawings are still unknown.

5/1995 Property Deeds transferred ownership at no cost from Herts.CC via ‘ Education

            Assets Board’ to Governors of St Joan of Arc + additional 6 acre sportsfield. 

2000    Barn timbers dendro-dated to winter 1397/8 by Dr Martin Bridge (UCL) for Eng

            Heritage: Report 25/2000.

2002/3 Placed on English Heritage ‘Buildings at Risk Register

2005    Feasibility Report Published