Hilley Farm, Shropshire

This project involved a number of applications for the redevelopment of the existing farmhouse and farmstead buildings. The applications proposed decanting of the current farming operation to a site adjacent to the current buildings which allowed other uses to be considered for the existing farmhouse and traditional farmstead buildings, including housing, holiday accommodation and commercial office facilities.

The farmhouse and traditional farm buildings, although not listed, were considered to be of heritage value as non-designated heritage assets. The farmhouse is a substantial three story house in brick with a slate roof whilst the traditional farm buildings are comprised of traditional brick buildings with slate and metal roofs.

The proposal seeks to enhance and sympathetically convert the existing buildings for re-use whilst incorporating renewable technologies such as a biomass boiler to provide heat to the entire farmstead. The constraints of the layout, window openings and structural form of the brick barns dictate the layouts within: the building nearest the farmhouse – the former milking parlour – lends itself to conversion to residential with little structural adaptation. The larger range to the north is to be converted to holiday lets. This section is good at ground floor but has low trusses on the first floor and principally just brick ventilators for openings. The former is overcome with a simple raising of the central section of the bottom tie beam by about 500mm. Day lighting can be via rooflights and also by placing windows inside the brick vents, on the line of the new insulated lining, for additional light.

The part demolished single storey eastern wing is re-instated to provide use as a holiday let, communal area and office building. The existing farmhouse is to be sub-divided to provide four units whilst retaining its original character.

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