About the Bonsall Field Barn Project

The Bonsall Field Barn Project is a voluntary group dedicated to saving and restoring the 115 little limestone field barns within the parish of Bonsall.

Over the past few years there has been a steady decline in the number of field barns. Many are neglected, some are deteriorating ruins, and others are at the mercy of thieves who strip the roofs and steal stonemasonry to sell to the building industry.

Times are changing however, and things are looking a little better for field barns. The barn project has so far restored 15 barns within the past two years, thanks to funding from Derbyshire County Council and DEFRA.( through the Aggregates Levy Scheme) We aim to restore the barns and bring them back into valued working agricultural buildings.

These barns are unique to the White Peak in Derbyshire, they are part of the heritage of Bonsall mining and farming history.

Most are early Georgian, some much older.

Their rugged beauty inspires artists, writers, poets, photographers, filmakers and walkers.

The quality of the unique landscape features in Bonsall keeps the village economy thriving through light tourism.

Barns are environmentally friendly. They not only house cattle from hot or cold weather, but hay is stored in the loft space and valuable water is collected from the roof. This saves many unnecessary tractor journeys.

Wildlife live within the peacefulness of barns especially barn and little owls. These important birds are declining in numbers. The Barn Project installs barn owl holes and ledges and owl boxes in trees near by.

Farmers are also encouraged to leave long grass for the owls in which to hunt food.

Swallows too nest under the eaves of the barn roofs.

Field mice, stoats and birds live within the limestone walls in or around the barns. We do our utmost to leave them in peace.

A Voluntary Organisation

The project has been successful because of the passionate belief in the barns' preservation by the volunteers and organisers. The funds that are raised goes to the project's builders, roofers and joiners most of which are from the village itself. All the administration, organisation, meetings, office/ internet costs are voluntarily run.

Winner of the 2006 Greenwatch Award

The Field Barn Project won the first prize for the Built Environment at the 2006 GreenWatch awards. We spent the £1000 prize money on new roadside farm gates and posts for Bonsall and Salters Lane. The road into Bonsall now has restored field barns, repaired drystone walls, gates and gateposts. It is a breathtaking drive especially near sunset.- ( in fact in all weathers, seasons, times of day!!)

Bonsall Field Barn Walks Book

Bonsall is a walkers dream and the barn project plans to bring out a book with 20 circular walks that feature most of the 115 field barns.

Sponsor a field barn

We are now at the end of our funding and have a long way to go to restore and care for the landscape features and it's wildlife. We plan to repair and re roof a further 100 barns with the help of donations and grants.

Donations are always welcome and you can keep informed on what it is being spent by visiting the website www.bonsallfieldbarnproject.org. If you want to make a donation, contact us by email, and we will send you the details.

Typical costs are-

• A barn owl box £30
• A barn door £120
• A metre of dry stone wall repair £15
• A square metre of roof ( timbers, laths, welsh slate and labour ) £48
• An hour's building work £14
• Two bags of cement £5

Barns are relatively cheap to restore. Once roofed and repaired they will last for many, many decades due to better building technology and materials. We need to act now though, as many barns without roofs will deteriorate rapidly over this winter season. Don't let 300 years of history, a beautiful landscape feature and a home for a family of barn owls be lost forever.