Home Farm, Shotover Estate, Oxfordshire

Overview

In January 2009 Spirit Architecture was appointed as Team Leader and Conservation Architect to prepare a Conservation Management Plan for the Home Farm building complex as part of a Higher Level Stewardship Grant from Natural England.

The purpose of the Plan was to provide an overview of the Home Farm complex, a Model Farm from the late C19th, it’s historical importance and the condition of the buildings.

Once completed a Schedule of Repair Works to the fabric of the existing buildings was created and tendered and a grant of up to 80% of the repair works applied for under the Natural England Higher Level Stewardship scheme.

There is a step by step process for applying for a Historic Buildings Restoration (HBR) grant under the Higher Level Stewardship scheme which Natural England follow to repairs to historic park and farm buildings of all types, and grants are given on the basis of the “best” quality buildings and those at most risk.

The “Phase 1” works took place in 2010-11 over a 10 month period and included the repairs of all the main roofs, internal timber structures and a new surface water drainage system.