22 May 2024
Gowbarrow Hall Farm is a family run farm on the south facing shores of Ullswater. The farm is under the management of Sam and Claire Beaumont. They are passionate about maintaining the natural beauty of the landscape and enriching the wildlife that falls within it. For them it is about caring for the environment and being conscious of how farming fits within the wider global issues the planet is facing.
FiPL funding is ensuring the longevity of an important Georgian bank barn. It is also bringing new purpose to the building and an income stream as part of the farm business.
A first round of FiPL funding lay the foundations for what the approach should be. A feasibility study explored what work was needed, which archaeological features should be protected and whether any wildlife were using the barn. The study also looked at the ecological impact the development may have and gave Sam and Claire a lot of information about the history of their barn.
Here Claire explains what they wanted to achieve:
“The barn needed some structural repair but was not contributing economically to our farming business. We no longer house any livestock and the space was not suitable for the small number of hay bales we make every year.
“Turning the space into an education room has given the barn a new purpose. It means we now have a professional space for hosting courses and events, including those run by an external organisation, Wilderculture CIC based in Ambleside. Our farm has been a base for their courses for several years.
“We get many visitors, year round and including over the winter, who are keen to see our regenerative farming approach for the uplands. So we were confident about a demand for an attractive modern internal space with a dining area, wood burning stove, toilets and a commercial kitchen.
“We are particularly pleased that a fallen beech tree on the farm has been made into the table and chairs for the dining room, which can seat up to 32 people.
"We have had a lot of interest from groups and organisations looking to hire the room. The minute it was finished, we had three big bookings. It’s a new income stream for us and as we offer catering for anyone using the space, it also adds value to our farm produce. As well meat from our animals we have a small market garden on the farm and grow our own fruit and vegetables.
“The support and help we’ve had from the LDNPA team has been brilliant. They’ve been a very positive, can-do, influence which is quite different from other funding organisations we’ve dealt with.
“We felt they were on our side and were working with us to make sure it was a success. The feasibility study was also key in helping us to plan out the project. And it meant we know much more about the history of our farm.
