‘We are known for always having something new to discover and be inspired by.’
Our Story
Long Barn began with Richard Norris’s love of lavender and his vision to create a range of products that truly celebrate this wonderful plant. Jane Marsden, a former marketing director, joined Richard in the early days, and together they built Long Barn into what it is today.
Over the years, it has grown from a market stall to a small shop on Alresford High Street, and eventually into the lifestyle store and café you know now. Jane and Richard set out to create a shop that puts the joy back into shopping—a warm, welcoming destination for everyone who visits.
Our Barn
Our beautiful oak-framed barn, often referred to as “The Lavender Barn,” sits among our Heritage Collection lavender gardens. It’s no surprise we’re best known for our lavender plants and our range of lavender home and body products. But under our Long Barn roof, you’ll also find gardening essentials, homewares, clothing, gifts, food, and a café.
Our Town
Long Barn is situated on a site which, since the Middle Ages, was used to pen herds of sheep for the annual Sheep Fair, hence ‘The Old Sheep Fair’ address. Lavender now grows where once as many as 16,000 sheep huddled. Proud of our link to Alresford’s rich trading history, we love introducing our picturesque and warmly welcoming area to our visitors. Discover delicious produce, fascinating historical sites, beautiful countryside, and a great assortment of independent shops and eateries.
Our Countryside
Getting outside is one of the best ways to relax and revive the spirits, and we’re lucky to be set within the magnificently beautiful South Downs and on the cusp of the South Downs Way – 101 miles of chalky walking. So if cycling is more your thing, we are on an excellent route, with many cyclists stopping and refuelling with delicious cake and coffee at our lovely Cafe. We provide bike racks.
Our Community
Long Barn is a proudly local, independent business and part of the surrounding community. We care about our team—some have been with us for over 15 years, since the very beginning! We welcome every visitor like a guest in our home, always with a friendly hello. Throughout the year, we support charities and causes we care about, locally and further afield. In this photo you can see some of our lovely staff dressed for Wear It Pink Day in support of the charity
Breast Cancer Now.
Our Commitment
We are committed to seasonality, reflecting nature’s changing rhythms in both what we sell in the store and what we serve in the café. Our aim is to inspire and bring joy—if your day feels even a little better when you leave Long Barn than it did when you arrived, then we’ve done our job. We’re also committed to our team and to fostering inclusivity and diversity.
Friends of Long Barn
Join our free loyalty club, Friends of Long Barn. Each month, you’ll enjoy exclusive in-store offers, automatic entry into our free monthly prize draw, and early access to special events and promotions throughout the year.
Signing up is easy — simply visit us in-store to receive your Friends loyalty card and details of this month’s exclusive offers or sign up online today.
Find out more here.
