West Midlands Farmsteads and Landscapes Project Summary
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WEST MIDLANDS FARMSTEADS AND LANDSCAPES PROJECT COUNTY SUMMARY REPORT FOR SHROPSHIRE Executive Summary Solutions to finding a future sustainable use for new build are being considered in the context historic farmsteads and their buildings require an of a historic farmstead. integrated approach, considering their merits as • Historic Farmstead Characterisation Reports heritage assets, their contribution to landscape for each county and the Central Conurbation character and their role in the changing structure which present a detailed analysis of the of rural communities and economies. This report mapping of farmsteads in relationship to summarises the results of mapping the historic landscape character and type, and which character and present use of historic farmsteads are stored on the local authority Historic in Shropshire. This is part of the West Midlands Environment Record. Farmsteads and Landscape Project (see www. english-heritage.org.uk/wmidlandsfarmsteads) An important aspect of this project is the fact which has concluded that: that all the partners are using a consistent methodology for mapping farmsteads so that • Historic farmsteads are assets which make a the data can be combined to produce a regional significant and highly varied contribution to the picture of farmstead character. This report rural building stock, landscape character and summarises the key findings of the Historic local distinctiveness of the West Midlands. Farmstead Characterisation Report for Shropshire, • Historic farmsteads are assets which, through and the analysis of current use. agricultural and other new uses, have significant potential to make an important Historic Farmsteads Survival and Change contribution to the rural economy and communities away from market towns and Across Shropshire the rates of survival of historic other rural centres. farmsteads are slightly higher than the average across the West Midlands region. 88% of • This understanding can be used to inform farmstead sites have retained some or all of their positive approaches to shaping the character working buildings, against a regional average of and economy of places, which are tailored 82%, the rates of survival being much higher in to the future conservation and use of historic upland farming areas than the lowlands where farmsteads. large farms developed: • 33% of farmsteads have retained all of their The Project has produced: historic footprint/working buildings (regional average 26%) • The West Midlands Farmsteads and Landscapes Project: Summary Report, which • 37% of farmsteads have had some loss but summarises the results of the whole project retained more than 50% of their historic and sets out policy and land use implications, footprint (regional average 40%) and recommendations and next steps for • 18% of farmsteads have retained some working further work. buildings but with more than 50% loss of their • Illustrated Farmstead Character Statements historic footprint (regional average 16%) that outline the historic character and present Over 75% of these sites do not included listed day role of historic farmsteads for the whole buildings. These mostly comprise houses, with region and the 26 National Character Areas barns of 18th century and earlier date taking up that fall within or astride it. These bring the majority of working farm buildings that have together the results of all this work, combined been listed. with the results of extensive survey work and other available information. Landscape and Settlement Context • A Farmstead Use Report which provides a detailed statistical analysis of the patterns of In Shropshire only 13% of farmsteads are located farmstead use across the West Midlands, and within villages (regional average 12%), whilst their social and economic role. 19% are located within hamlets (regional average 12%). The remainder are isolated and form an • A Planning Tools Report. Tools for informing integral part of how landscapes have changed change at an area and site-based scale, in the from the medieval period. Across Shropshire form of an Area Assessment Framework for the patterns of inherited landscape character use in the development of planning guidance have been mapped by the Shropshire Historic and land management, and a Site Assessment Landscape Character assessment (HLC) and the Framework for identifying key issues at the Shropshire Landscape Character Assessment (LCA). earliest possible stage when adaptive reuse or The results of these have been integrated into the COUNTY SUMMARY REPORT FOR SHROPSHIRE Shropshire Landscapes Typology and this report Current Use shows how the farmsteads data can be analysed • Successive waves of investment have reshaped in relationship to these patterns of landscape Shropshire to a lesser extent than much of character area and type. the region, allowing a high level of historic farmstead survival. Historic Farmstead Character • The proportion of farmsteads surviving in agricultural use is very similar to that typical to There are strong contrasts in Shropshire between the region as a whole. its moorland and heathland landscapes, with small-scale farms and fields and the highest • Diversification in any sense has been lower densities of farmsteads, and the lowland than elsewhere; the tendency to on-farm landscapes with large-scale regular plan diversification has been weaker than in other farmsteads and fields, mostly resulting from of counties and the tendency to conversion to 18th and 19th century farm amalgamation and B1, B2 or B8 use has been slightly lower than improvement. Elsewhere farmsteads and the elsewhere. landscapes around them developed in a piecemeal • The likelihood of conversion to residential use is fashion from the medieval period. very similar to that for the region as a whole. • Participation of residents as directors of substantial business is lower than in counties with higher economic mass. Contents 1 The Context for the Project 2 Historic Farmsteads in Shropshire 2.1 Landscape and Settlement Context 2.2 Historic Farmsteads Survival and Change 2.3 Historic Farmstead Character 2.4 Assessing Significance 3. The Use of Historic Farmsteads in Shropshire 4. Key Issues for Shropshire 5. Further Information Annexe 1: Farmstead Character Areas in Shropshire Annexe 2: National Character Area Summaries Report by Charlotte Baxter and Andy Wigley of Shropshire Council, and Jeremy Lake of English Heritage. August 2010. 2 West Midlands Project County Report: Shropshire COUNTY SUMMARY REPORT FOR SHROPSHIRE 1 THE CONTEXT FOR THE PROJECT 2 HISTORIC FARMSTEADS IN SHROPSHIRE The West Midlands Farmsteads and Landscapes The mapping of farmsteads across the county of Project has mapped and interpreted the locations and Shropshire recorded 6194 farmsteads. It has in addition characteristics of historic farmsteads, and their current mapped 1764 outfarms and field barns which were use. Historic farmsteads, where the farmhouse and the established away from the main steading, to the same working buildings are located, are integral to the rural method. Smallholding zones have also been identified landscape, its communities and economy. They display and mapped. The resulting data has been interpreted an immense diversity in their type, scale, form and use against the National Character Areas (NCAs), the of materials, as well as differences in their survival as Shropshire Historic Landscape Character assessment traditional groups. They developed in close relationship (HLC) and the Shropshire Landscape Character to their surrounding farmland, and as a result they Assessment (LCA). make a varied contribution to the character of the Section 6 of the Shropshire Historic Farmstead landscape and to local distinctiveness. Characterisation Report displays the results of Their future, and in particular that of the traditional this mapping, the main findings of which are farm buildings is increasingly dependent on finding summarised below. The Shropshire Historic Farmsteads a use for which they were not originally intended. Characterisation Project, Shropshire Landscape Through understanding the character, condition Character Assessment and the Shropshire Historic and present day role of historic farmsteads and their Landscape Character Assessment are all available traditional working buildings, policy and delivery on the Council’s website, by following links on the programmes can respond appropriately in supporting Environment Page: http://www.shropshire.gov.uk/ their sustainable use, conserving landscape character environment.nsf and realising economic benefits. This informed The Annexes to this county summary display the area approach responds to the structural changes in the variations for the county. farming industry which have hastened the redundancy of traditional farm buildings. Research at a national level (www.helm.org.uk/ 2.1 Landscape and Settlement Context farmbuildings) has examined the drivers for change The Project has contributed to an understanding of and the effectiveness of policy at national and how the present character of the rural landscape results international levels. This has emphasised the need to from past land use and development. The historic develop an evidence base, and for future strategies and character of the present-day landscape is mapped approaches towards the re-use of historic farmsteads across the West Midlands through Historic Landscape and their buildings to be based upon an understanding Characterisation (HLC), a national initiative funded by of their sensitivity to