Dales farm buildings under the microscope

TRADITIONAL farm buildings are to be put under the spotlight in the first survey of its kind to be undertaken in the Yorkshire Dales.

Thousands of buildings, ranging from sheep shelters to hay barns, will be mapped, measured and photographed in a new census launched by the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority (YDNPA) this week.

The first phase will be a six-month pilot in the Swaledale, upper-Wharfedale and Ingleton areas to work out the best way of carrying out the study, according to the Authority’s Assistant Building Conservation Officer Don McLellan.

“It is thought there may be as many as 6,000 traditional farm buildings within the National Park but, because no-one has ever attempted such an extensive exercise using volunteers before, there is no proven methodology – which is why we need the pilot study,” he said.

Once the methodology has been worked out, the real work will begin – and could last a number of years.

Don said the condition of the National Park’s traditional farm buildings was deteriorating steadily and the trend was only likely to be reversed if new funding could be brought on line and made available to farmers and landholders.

“In order to have accurate information for future bids, a comprehensive survey of this nationally-important barns landscape is needed,” he said.

The Dales field barn landscape is of European significance

Don McLellan - YDNPA

“We have recruited volunteers from the local communities to carry out the work and, as well as counting how many traditional farm buildings there are, we are hoping to gather some architectural information to help us better understand the nature of the farm building resource.

“For example, we hope to find out what the original purpose of each building might have been – a hogg (correct) house for sheep, a stable and a hay barn are the main types that we expect to find – but there will also be examples of buildings that were once in domestic use.

“To this end we intend to collect digital photographs as well as sketch plans and basic measurements for each building recorded.

“The Dales field barn landscape is of European significance and the results of the survey will be used to lobby for additional resources for its conservation.”