Farming the Historic Landscape. Caring for Farm Buildings_2004
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Transcript of 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.