WEST MIDLANDS FARMSTEADS AND LANDSCAPES PROJECT COUNTY SUMMARY REPORT FOR WARWICKSHIRE Executive Summary Solutions to finding a future sustainable use for farmsteads in relationship to landscape character historic farmsteads and their buildings require an and type, and which are stored on the local integrated approach, considering their merits as authority Historic Environment Record. heritage assets, their contribution to landscape An important aspect of this project is the fact that character and their role in the changing structure all the partners have used a consistent methodology of rural communities and economies. This report for mapping farmsteads so that the data can be summarises the results of mapping the historic combined to produce a regional picture of farmstead character and present use of historic farmsteads character. This report summarises the key findings of in Warwickshire. This is part of the West Midlands the Historic Farmstead Characterisation Report for Farmsteads and Landscape Project (see www.english- Warwickshire, and the analysis of current use. heritage.org.uk/wmidlandsfarmsteads) which has concluded that: Historic Farmsteads Survival and Change • Historic farmsteads are assets which make a significant and highly varied contribution to the Across the county the rates of survival are lower rural building stock, landscape character and local than the average across the West Midlands region, distinctiveness of the West Midlands. reflecting the continuation of a long historical process of farm amalgamation and rebuilding particularly in • Historic farmsteads are assets which, through the Felden and Dunsmore area. 84% of farmstead agricultural and other new uses, have significant sites have retained some or all of their working potential to make an important contribution to the buildings, against a regional average of 82%: rural economy and communities away from market • 16% of farmsteads have retained all of their historic towns and other rural centres. footprint/ working buildings (regional average • This understanding can be used to inform 26%); positive approaches to shaping the character and • 50% of farmsteads have had some loss but retained economy of places, which are tailored to the future more than 50% of their historic footprint (regional conservation and use of historic farmsteads. average 40%); • 18% of farmsteads have retained some working The Project has produced: buildings but with more than 50% loss of their • The West Midlands Farmsteads and Landscapes historic footprint (regional average 16%). Project: Summary Report, which summarises the Of the farmsteads that survive to the present day results of the whole project 75.5% do not include a listed building. and sets out policy and land use implications, and recommendations and next steps for further work. Landscape and Settlement Context • Illustrated Farmstead Character Statements that Across Warwickshire and Solihull the pattern of outline the historic character and present day role inherited landscape character has been mapped by of historic farmsteads for the whole region and the Warwickshire and Solihull Historic Landscape the 26 National Character Areas that fall within or Character Assessment Project (HLC). The county report astride it. These bring together the results of all this shows how the farmsteads data can be analysed in work, combined with the results of extensive survey relationship to these patterns of landscape character work and other available information. area and type. • A Farmstead Use Report which provides a detailed • 14.% of farmsteads are located within villages statistical analysis of the patterns of farmstead use (regional average 12%). across the West Midlands, and their social and economic role. • 5% are located within hamlets (regional average 12%). • A Planning Tools Report. Tools for informing change at an area and site-based scale, in the Warwickshire contains two very different form of an Area Assessment Framework for use in landscape character zones, separated by the the development of planning guidance and land river Avon, with the Arden area characterised management, and a Site Assessment Framework by dispersed settlement comprising variable but for identifying key issues at the earliest possible stage when adaptive reuse or new build are being often high densities of isolated farmsteads and considered in the context of a historic farmstead. the area to the south of the Avon characterised by large villages with medium-low densities of • Historic Farmstead Characterisation Reports for isolated farmsteads – part of the central band each county and the Central Conurbation which of village England, where large villages working present a detailed analysis of the mapping of COUNTY SUMMARY REPORT FOR WARWICKSHIRE large open fields had developed by the 11th Current Use century. The average density of farmsteads in • While not urbanised over the last 200 years the landscape is higher than in the landscapes of to the extent of the conurbation, easy access the eastern part of the county that underwent to it has implied higher economic mass and systematic reorganisation in the 18th and 19th higher capital endowment than any of the century. other counties in the region (other than the Historic Farmstead Character conurbation). The broad farmstead plan types in the West • The likelihood that a farmstead will remain Midlands divide into: in agricultural use is rather lower than that typical of the region as a whole (and similar to • Courtyard plans where the working buildings that characteristic of the conurbation). are arranged around a yard (85.3%, 75% in Warwickshire) • The propensity to participate in business – whether as principal of a farm based limited • Dispersed plans where there is no focal yard company or as a director of a substantial area (6.7%, 1.5% in Warwickshire) business - exceeds that typical for the region • Small-scale farmsteads where the house as a whole. and working buildings are often attached, • Historic farmsteads – particularly in the and which can also comprise smallholdings Arden area - form an important part of (11.7%, 4.8% in Warwickshire). the dwelling stock of wealthy residential Small scale farmsteads are low in number (6%, exurbs, in association with a particular form against a regional average of 21%). They are of low density residential development - concentrated in the Arden area, and include where sporadic dwellings are intermixed some rare surviving examples of 18th century with grazing, limited hobby farming and and earlier complexes that developed besides equestrian and related uses. There is a strong common land. In contrast large to very-large tendency for residents to participate in non- scale farmsteads (74% within Warwickshire, farming business (as principals of farmstead against a regional average of 53%).are based limited companies or as directors of concentrated in the reorganised broad valleys substantial business), farmsteads close to but and estatelands of southern Arden, and in outside villages showing these characteristics the Avon valley and in the village-dominated to a particularly high degree. These patterns landscapes to the south and east. Small to of use and value have intensified within the medium-scale farmsteads (20%, against a context afforded by Green Belt protection. regional average of 24%) are concentrated • Residential use is particularly likely along the in the areas where the pastoral element of Avon valley towards and around Stratford, agriculture is more dominant. linked to high director participation - with Significant clusters of single field barns are significant commuting beyond the Regional scattered around major urban centres including boundary. for example Solihull and Rugby that witnessed significant population growth in the 19th century. Elsewhere, field barns occur where farms remained within villages. These include some significant early examples. Outfarms tend to be found in areas of large scale late regular enclosure often driven by large estates. 2 West Midlands Project County Report: Warwickshire COUNTY SUMMARY REPORT FOR WARWICKSHIRE Contents 1 The Context for the Project Annexe 1: Farmstead Character Areas in 2 Historic Farmsteads in Warwickshire Warwickshire 2.1 Landscape and Settlement Context Annexe 2: District Summaries 2.2 Historic Farmsteads Survival and Change Annexe 3: National Character Area Summaries 2.3 Historic Farmstead Character 2.4 Assessing Significance 3. The Use of Historic Farmsteads in Warwickshire 4. Key Issues for Warwickshire Report by Benjamin Morton of Warwickshire County Council, 5. Further Information and Jeremy Lake of English Heritage. August 2010. 1 THE CONTEXT FOR THE PROJECT 2 HISTORIC FARMSTEADS IN WARWICKSHIRE The West Midlands Farmsteads and Landscapes The mapping of farmsteads across the county of Project has mapped and interpreted the locations and Warwickshire including Solihull recorded 3037 characteristics of historic farmsteads, and their current farmsteads and 484 outfarms. The resulting data has use. Historic farmsteads, where the farmhouse and the been interpreted against the Warwickshire Historic working buildings are located, are integral to the rural Landscape Character assessment (HLC). landscape, its communities and economy. They display Section 6 of the Warwickshire Historic Farmstead an immense diversity in their type, scale, form and use Characterisation Report displays the results of this of materials, as well as differences in their survival as mapping, the