A new grant scheme has been launched by the Westmorland Dales Landscape Partnership Scheme offering financial support to landowners and farmers in the area to carry out conservation work on traditional farm buildings under threat.
These buildings are a distinctive feature of the Westmorland Dales landscape but they are also one of the area’s most vulnerable types of historic building. Many are now redundant and have therefore been demolished, left to decay or converted to other uses.
A small number of grants are being made available to assist with restoration work to save these important cultural assets, raise their profile and help reveal their importance to the heritage of the area.
Cultural heritage officer Hannah Kingsbury said: “We’re keen to conserve a few key buildings which will help to demonstrate the link between our traditional farm buildings and how the land was once managed.
“We are delighted to be inviting applications from owners and tenants with buildings that are highly visible in the landscape, and that have a proposed future use — excluding residential conversions.”
The grant scheme is open for expressions of interest, with the deadline being 4th December, and anybody who thinks they have a building which might be eligible should visit www.thewestmorlandadales.org.uk
The grant fund is limited and potential costs of conservation are high, so a small number of buildings will be identified from the applications.
The grants will provide 80 per cent of funding, with the rest required from the landowner or occupier.
Further information is available from Hannah Kingsbury on 01539 756624.
