farming the historic landscape. caring for farm buildings_2004

8/11/2019 Farming the Historic Landscape. Caring for Farm Buildings_2004

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Farm ing thehistoric landscapeC aring forfarm buildings


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A A gri-environm ent schem es area m ajor source of funding forthe repair of historic farmbuildings,such as this cowhouse in the Lake D istrictN ational Park.PhotographD efra.

B H istoric farm buildingscontribute to the diversity,attractiveness and fascinationof the countryside.Field barnsare a particularly distinctiveand valued feature of theYorkshire D ales landscape.Photograph Peter G askell.

O ther buildings of the farm stead can also show regional

differences.G ranaries are usually free-standing buildings

on staddle stones in the south-east and East A nglia,

but they are typically built above other buildings such

as cartsheds or stables in the w est.

Specialist buildings such as oast houses are regionally

distinct.O ther buildings w ith specific uses include dairies,

cheese lofts and cider houses.A lthough not as distinctive

as the oast house,they are characteristic of their regions.Farm steads can also include a w ide range of other

buildings,such as dovecotes,pigsties,well houses,ash

houses,w orkshops,stores and m ill buildings,w hich all

contribute to their historic character.

WHY CARE FOR HISTORIC FARM BUILDINGS?

It is im portant that traditional farm buildings are cared

for because:

They are a vital elem ent in defining the character

of the countryside

They are a finite historical and archaeological asset,

form ing an im portant resource for understanding the

developm ent of farm ing in an area

They m ay be listed buildings,or lie w ithin the curtilage

of a listed building,and so are legally protected

They often have a w ildlife benefit,for exam ple,

as bat roosts

They are econom ically valuable.M any farm buildings

have the potential for alternative uses;protecting

the asset now m ay m ean a future project w ill be

financially viable

They represent significant environm ental capital in

their m aterials and construction

W herever possible,historic farm buildings should be kept

in active farm use,as this is the best w ay of safeguarding

their historic character.

Funding for their m aintenance and repair m ay be available

from D efra,from English H eritage or from som e local

authorities (see contact details on the back page).

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LISTED BUILDINGS

Listed buildings are protected under the Planning (Listed

Buildings and C onservation Areas) A ct 1990 because

they are considered to have special architectural or

historic interest.Copies of the Lists of Buildings of

Special A rchitectural or H istoric Interest are available

at the offices of local planning authorities.

W orks that affect the character or interest of a listed

building or a building erected w ithin the curtilage of alisted building prior to 1948 w ill require Listed Building

C onsent.W orks that require consent can range from

dem olition to re-painting.

G eneral m aintenance and like-for-like repairs do not

require perm ission,but local authorities m ay require

a consent application for larger program m es of w ork,

such as re-roofing.It is a crim inal offence to carry out

unauthorised w orks and the penalties for this can be

heavy.If there is uncertainty about whether Listed

Building C onsent is required or not,contact the Local

A uthority C onservation O fficer.

MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR

The regular inspection,m aintenance and repair of

traditional buildings is essential if expensive future repairs

are to be avoided.W ater is the biggest enem y of m ost

historic buildings.Ensuring that a roof rem ains w atertight

can prevent serious dam age to tim ber roof structures.

Keeping gutters and dow npipes correctly aligned and

clear of leaves and other debris w ill prevent w ater

over-spilling and running dow n w alls,dam aging

w eatherboarding,tim ber-fram ing,or w ashing m ortar

from m asonry,all of w hich dam ages the fabric.Earth-

w alled buildings are particularly susceptible to dam age

from w ater penetration.C lim bing plants such as ivy

can keep areas of a building dam p,dam age m asonry

and hide defects that,if left unattended,could result in

the need for costly repairs.Such m aintenance usually

requires no special skills or equipm ent other than the

proper use of a ladder.

Repairs to a traditional farm building should be

undertaken in a sensitive w ay using appropriate

m aterials,techniques and styles.W here possible,repair

existing features rather than replace w ith new.U sing the

w rong m aterial could result in dam age to the building.

For exam ple,using cem ent m ortars instead of lim e

m ortar for historic m asonry can result in spalling and

erosion,leading to the need for expensive repairs.Earth-

built structures are particularly vulnerable w hen cem ent

renders are used.The use of inappropriate m aterials ortechniques m ay affect the special character or interest

of the building:if in doubt,seek advice.

For sim ple on-line advice on building m aintenance,visit

w w w .m aintainyourbuilding.org.uk

THE NEED FOR INFORMATION

Effective conservation or restoration requires a thorough

understanding of the building or site.O btaining specialist

advice early on in any conservation or restoration

program m e w ill m inim ise the risk of expensive delays,

unexpected problem s and the destruction of im portant

inform ation about the past.

The im portance of the building in term s of its

architectural,historic and landscape value w ill often

need to be assessed at the beginning of a conservation

schem e,even if the building is not listed.

C areful analysis of a building m ay reveal im portant

inform ation about the w ay the building w as constructed,

altered and used in the past.O ften the evidence is insm all details,such as em pty joints and peg holes in

tim ber.Provision for properly recording and reporting

on the m eaning of such features m ay be required.

O n farm steads that have m edieval origins,there

m ay also be archaeological evidence for earlier

buildings or uses on the site.


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W here a m ajor conservation schem e is being

undertaken,analysis of the im portance of a building,its

fabric and particular elem ents w ithin it,such as anim al

stalls,should inform the w ork of other specialists,such as

architects and structural engineers,guiding decisions on

the use of particular conservation techniques.Architects,

surveyors or structural engineers em ployed to m anage

and advise on schem es should be experienced in the

conservation of traditional buildings.Building contractors

should have proven experience of the traditional buildingtechniques required.The Local A uthority Conservation

O fficer should be able to provide contact details of

historic building consultants able to undertake survey

and analysis of farm buildings.

CAN HISTORIC FARM BUILDINGS BEIMPORTANT FOR WILDLIFE?

Yes,the possibility that there is a w ildlife value to the

building as a hom e for ow ls,for exam ple,or a bat

roost also needs to be considered.

D Keeping historic farm buildingsin active farm use is the bestw ay of safeguarding theircharacter:thatched cow shedat O ver W allop,H am pshire.Photograph H am pshireC ounty C ouncil.

E Interior fixtures and fittings arean im portant aspect of historiccharacter and should beretained w herever possible.Interior of traditional cow houseattached to a tim ber-fram edbarn,N orfolk.PhotographEnglish H eritage.

F A gricultural buildings otherthan barns and farm houses,such as this pigsty in the D ales,are under-represented in thestatutory lists but m ake anim portant contribution tothe character of the farm yard.Photograph D efra.

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The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 protectsbats and their roosts.It is illegal to intentionally orrecklessly disturb bats or their roost,or obstructaccess into a building they use.Advice from EnglishNature should be sought.


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HOW CAN I GET ADVICE ON CARING FORHISTORIC BUILDINGS OR GRANT-AID?

You can obtain advice on how to m anage historic

buildings on your land or on grant schem es from the

follow ing organisations:

Department for Environment,Food and Rural Affairs:U nder D efra agri-environm ent schem es,Rural

D evelopm ent Service advisers can help w ith advice

on grants for environm ental land m anagem ent andbuilding conservation.A list of local offices is available

on the D efra w ebsite at w w w.defra.gov.uk by

selecting Contact Defra

Local Authority:Your Local A uthority C onservationO fficer should be the first point of contact if you

require general advice about the m anagem ent of

listed buildings and the need for Listed Building

C onsent.Som e local authorities m ay also be able

to offer grant assistance for traditional repairs

English Heritage:Your local English H eritage RegionalO ffice can give advice on the m anagem ent and repair

of listed historic buildings.For G rade I and II* listed

buildings that are considered at risk,there m ay be

grant assistance available.A list of regional offices

is available on the English H eritage w ebsite at

w w w .english-heritage.org.uk by selecting Contact Us

G Repair w ork provides localem ploym ent and keeps craftskills alive.Ecclerigg Barn inthe Lake D istrict under repair.Photograph Andy Low eLake D istrict N ational Park.

H Farm buildings should beregularly m aintained to avoiddereliction and the need forexpensive repairs.Particularattention should be paidto keeping roofs intactand preventing the grow thof vegetation.PhotographH am pshire C ounty Council.

I Building character can oftendepend on details,such as thechequer-board pattern of thetiled roof of this D orset barn.A ny w orks to the roof shouldrespect and retain this pattern.Photograph Bob Edw ards.

For copies of this leaflet,please contact English Heritage Customer ServicesDepartment on 0870 333 1181 or email:[email protected] May 2004.Product Code:50911 www.english-heritage.org.uk

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REMEMBER to take account of historic farmbuildings when you develop plans for farmdiversification,development or makeapplications for agri-environment schemes.

farming the historic landscape. caring for farm buildings_2004

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