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The Challenge
There is a growing pressure on historic agricultural buildings. Landowners and farmers need to find a sustainable use for these structures and residential conversion has long since provided a solution. Planning policy promotes heritage-led design and it is often the historic character of these buildings that is intrinsic to their desirability as homes. Planning conditions imposed often require the recording of historic fabric and features prior to any redevelopment taking place, this means such work needs to be carried out quickly and efficiently.
The Development
The Built Heritage specialists at Wessex Archaeology were pleased to work with the Caerhays Estate on the residential conversion of a complex of 18th-century barns in Tregony, Cornwall. Our Building Archaeologists undertook a Historic Building Recording of three groups of stone barns, each unique in plan and in varying states of dilapidation.
Our Approach
Working to a brief agreed with the local planning authority, the team undertook metric survey of the main building elevations, creating an accurate drawn record of each. Details of the historic fabric and features were captured by detailed photography of the buildings inside and out. An overall understanding of the historic background and development of the barns and the wider farm complex at Tregony was establish by documentary research and historic map analysis.
Our Results
Wessex Archaeology has extensive experience of working on barn conversion projects. We understand the importance of capturing an accurate record of historic buildings immediately prior to their conversion to successfully discharge planning conditions. At Tregony, as with many other historic building recording projects, we were also able to deliver value to the client by enhancing understanding of the history and development of the barns and wider farmstead. Revealing and recording historic details such as past building uses, key architectural details and local building materials/techniques-used, provides an opportunity for developing marketing collateral and adding heritage led design details.