The Wiltshire and Swindon Farmsteads Guidance - Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre

Wiltshire Farmsteads

English Heritage has supported Wiltshire Council in developing guidance to help assess farmsteads at the earliest stage of the planning process and the Wiltshire Buildings Record in their work on historic character and significance. Wiltshire Council and Swindon Borough Council intends to adopt these documents as informal planning guidance in due course, further to consultation and following the adoption of both Council’s Core Strategies. It has been underpinned by a mapping of the historic character and survival of all the traditional farmsteads across the county, and now further investigative work is being undertaken by the Wiltshire Buildings Record as part of its continuing volunteer-driven and volunteer-led project on farmsteads.

Why is it important and what can it be used for?

The outcome of this work is that planners, conservationists, academics and in fact anyone interested in farmsteads will have a better informed understanding of the significance and contribution that historic farmsteads make in the human and natural environment. Future change in historic farmsteads is inevitable if they are to be retained as a distinctive part of the rural landscape – otherwise they risk decay and dereliction. Where it is fully informed, changes in use of a building can make a positive contribution to the landscape character and can inspire relevant high-quality development.

The Wiltshire and Swindon Farmsteads Guidance Documents

Traditional farmsteads and buildings are heritage assets which make a significant contribution to both local distinctiveness and, through a diversity of uses, to local communities and economies. English Heritage has supported Wiltshire Council in developing guidance to help assess the issues for change and, also with the Wiltshire Buildings Record, their historic character and significance. Wiltshire Council and Swindon Borough Council intends to adopt these documents as informal planning guidance in due course, further to consultation and following the adoption of both Councils’ Core Strategies.

THE FARMSTEAD ASSESSMENT FRAMEWORK

This guidance provides a step-by-step approach to considering the reuse of traditional farm buildings and the sustainable development of farmsteads, through identifying their historic character, significance and potential for change.

Download the assessment framework

FARMSTEADS CHARACTER STATEMENT

This has an introductory summary followed by fully-illustrated guidance on the character and significance of the county’s traditional farmsteads and buildings. It is presented under the headings of:

Historic development – how the county’s farming history fits into a national context
Landscape and settlement – how farmsteads contribute to the landscapes and settlements in which they have developed
Farmstead and building types – how the functions of farmsteads are reflected in a variety of farmstead plan forms and building types
Materials and detail – the development and use of materials and building techniques across the county
Area summaries – the areas into which the county subdivides, based on analysis of its farmsteads in their landscape context

Download the Character Statement:

AREA STATEMENTS

Farmstead and Landscape Statements have been produced for each of the following National Character Areas (as defined by Natural England) which are wholly or partly within the Wiltshire and Swindon areas. These include:

NCA 107 Cotswolds Statement

NCA 108 & 109 Upper Thames Clay Vales Statement

NCA 116 Berks Marlborough Statement

NCA 117 Avon Vales Statement

NCA 132 Salisbury Plain Statement

NCA 133 Blackmoor Vale and Vale of Wardour Statement

NCA 134 Dorset Downs Statement

Wiltshire and Swindon Farmsteads Mapping Report

This specialist report summarises the overall results of mapping the historic character and survival of the historic county’s traditional farmsteads, now covering the Unitary Authority areas of Wiltshire and Swindon. It provides an analysis of the results of mapping the historic plan type and survival of 4,028 farmsteads and over 2,700 out-farms and field barns, using Ordnance Survey maps of around 1,900 as a baseline because these were compiled after the last major phase of building traditional farmsteads in England. These will soon be entered onto the county’s Historic Environment Record. Clear distinctions have emerged between different landscape areas in the county, but in addition, the distinctive character of Wiltshire’s ‘chalk and cheese’ landscapes have been further highlighted and examined through case studies. The project was initiated by the Wiltshire Buildings Record and was funded by English Heritage. The mapping was carried out by Forum Heritage Services, using consistent terms and techniques as developed in other parts of England.

Download the project report