Beautiful and historic farm buildings nestling below the Malvern Hills are being given a new lease of life and saved for posterity – and creating up to 15 jobs.
The former cow parlour, bull pen and standing stalls at Fairoaks Farm, Hollybush, near Ledbury, were built in about 1825. The range of buildings was constructed of hand-made bricks and decorative tiles as part of an architect-designed Victorian “model” farm.
But they had fallen into disuse and disrepair in recent times and faced an uncertain future.
Now, they are being turned into small manufacturing units and offices with the help of the Redundant Building Grant programme. The programme is funded by Advantage West Midlands’ Rural Regeneration Zone and administered by Herefordshire Council.
Fairoaks Farm, which was once part of the Eastnor Estate on the Worcestershire/Herefordshire border, was bought in 1976 by Didi Lodge.
Since then, Mrs Lodge has been carrying out a labour of love to revitalise the 210-acre arable and sheep farm, set in glorious countryside which has been designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Mrs Lodge has already turned parts of the imposing Victorian farmhouse – and a 17th century cider press – into homes.
The latest phase is commercial development of the outbuildings which received RBG support and which started last year, with the first instalment due to be completed soon.
The buildings are capable of being let as a single unit or split into up to six units. Negotiations are already on-going with one potential tenant and it is hoped the firm will move there in February.
The cost of the latest phase of work is about £235,000, with the Redundant Buildings Grant meeting £62,500 of the cost.
Mrs Lodge said: “Fairoaks Farm is a special place, having been architect-designed as a ‘model’ farm and meticulously built with superb architectural features. I have been working on various phases of restoring the farm over the past 15 years.
“The out-buildings were in imminent danger of collapsing like a pack of cards and it was imperative to restore them to their former glory and at the same time to put them to beneficial use in tune with the needs of the 21st century.
“The Redundant Buildings Grant has been crucial to the restoration because without it, I would simply not have been able to go ahead with the project.
“I am extremely grateful to have had this assistance as a result of which vitally-needed jobs will be created which will feed through into the local economy. I hope to be able to carry out a further phase of the restoration at a later stage.”
Dorothy Coleman, Redundant Building Grant programme manager, said: “Fairoaks Fair is not only a wonderful example of an historical model farm, but now will be providing industries of the future with a chance to work in a fantastic setting.”
