The Tithe Barn and Dovecote can be seen at the Hall Court. The Tithe Barn, commissioned by Sir Francis Nethersole around 1655, is believed to be on the site of a previous monastic barn. Money raised from the tithes stored in the barn paid for the upkeep of the vicar and nearby Nethersole School, which provided education for girls as well as boys. Owned by Polesworth Parish Council, the Tithe Barn was refurbished in 1995.
Once part of the Abbey, the Dovecote is believed to have been originally built in the 12th Century and substantially rebuilt in the 14th Century. The stonework at the base of the building is thought to be part of the original structure, the brickwork from later reconstruction. Owned by the Parish Council, the Dovecote is located opposite the Tithe Barn.
(See also: the historic buildings map.)
Polesworth Abbey once covered much of the area in and around the Hall Court. St. Editha's church and the vicarage now stand on part of the former Abbey grounds, although some ruins from the 11th Century Benedictine Abbey can still be seen. Generally believed to have been founded in the 9th Century, the Abbey was substantially rebuilt during Norman times. The new Abbey had a larger church (parts of which still survive), a gatehouse (also extant, although parts are thought to be 14th Century), an infirmary, forge, dormitories and a bake house. Vegetable and herb gardens are thought to have been maintained in the area of what is now the Hall Court and a fishery and water mill were established on the river. During the reign of Henry VIII, the Abbey escaped dissolution, but closed in 1539 when only 14 nuns remained in residence. The site was eventually bought, in 1544, by the Goodere family.
(See also: the historic buildings map.)
The Nunnery Gatehouse, or Gateway, to the Abbey can be found at the High Street-end of the Church Drive. Its original north and south arches are now missing. The timber-framed buildings on the eastern side of the Gatehouse date from the 14th and 16th Centuries. At one time, part of the Gatehouse was used to lock-up local criminals; it is speculated that the Abbey's school for girls and boys was housed in the upper storey of the building.
(See also: the historic buildings map.)