FiPL Scheme Successfully Completed in the Forest of Bowland
With restoration work now completed at Fober Farm, Newton-in-Bowland, we look back at the works to appropriately restore the heritage buildings, and the scheme which made the refurbishment possible.
The UK’s Protected Landscapes – our National Parks and National Landscapes (formerly Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty or AONB) – are special and unique places; living and working landscapes that also support a huge range of habitats and species, visited by millions of people every year.
To support the farmers, land managers and local communities in protecting these exceptional places, Defra introduced the Farming in Protected Landscapes Programme (FiPL), which will run from July 2021 to March 2025.
Through the FiPL programme, farmers and land managers can receive funding to deliver projects that support and improve protected landscapes.
One such area, The Forest of Bowland National Landscape, is the location of Fober Farm – predominantly farming cattle and sheep – which has been managed by the Parker family for 100 years. Fober Barn is a key building for the farms’ operation, dating from the mid-19th Century it has been adapted over the years to meet the changing needs of farming over the years.
HPA are experienced in altering and refurbishing existing buildings vital to the preservation of our national heritage. We were invited to project manage a 2-phase approach to the restoration of Fober Farms’ heritage buildings, funded through the FiPL scheme.
Undertaken through challenging winter weather and completed in January 2025 the project began with Phase 1 which saw HPA complete detailed specification and design of the refurbishment, with Phase 2 focused on the physical restoration works, prioritising structural repairs and external works to protect the internal building.
In collaboration with Cavendish Bloor and the Cornerstone Group, HPA managed the application of funds and careful restoration, removing the existing corrugated metal roof and asbestos soffit to install a new roof structure, including timber purlins and rafters to support a new Burlington slate roof, laid in diminishing courses.
Improvements were also made to rainwater goods with the installation of cast aluminium fixtures, and walls were rebuilt or consolidated then repointed using traditional lime mortar.
With a passion for working with heritage structures, listed buildings, and historic places, our goal is to conserve and regenerate them responsibly and sustainably for the benefit of this and future generations, and the project at Fober Farm has indeed been a labour of love.
By combining our passion and experience of working with heritage structures such as Fober Farm Barns, listed buildings, and historic places, we balance conservation and preservation with sustainable, modern-day use; and funding such as the FiPL scheme provides vital resources to facilitate the preservation of our heritage landscapes.
