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Traditional Farm Buildings

This project aimed to restore ten stone-built field barns, which are key components of the Stories in Stone landscape.

It is thought that stone-built barns began to replace timber barns in the early 18th century. The buildings are constructed with locally quarried limestone, mudstone ‘slate’, or gritstone. These simple buildings display a range of details of local building traditions and are a document of the area's history.

Why the decline?

Changes in agriculture such as silage making and the modern requirements for housing and milking cattle have made the field barn largely redundant and the majority are falling into disrepair.

Which barns were restored?

A 2011 survey undertaken by the Ingleborough Archaeology Group identified and surveyed nearly 400 traditional farm buildings in the Ingleborough area, the majority of which were isolated field barns or barns in a farmstead or village setting. From this, twelve field barns of various age, design and condition and mainly in Chapel le Dale and Ribblesdale were prioritised as a small but representative sample of field barns.

Building Conservation staff at YDNPA or local specialists surveyed each of the buildings, to provide a specification for the consolidation and repair works and an assessment of each building’s architectural, cultural and landscape significance.

Based on these surveys the list was further prioritised and discussions held with landowners to identify the key buildings to include in this project. Ten barns were restored; Fawber Laithe, Combs Barn, Reyn Barn, Stubbing Barn, Higher Studfold Barn, Mill Bridge Barn, Sell Gill, Middle Barn, Back Hools Barn and Cat Hole Barn.