Disused barn to become community arts hub

6 hours ago

Jonny ManningNorth East and Cumbria

News image — Nibthwaite Common Barn is set to reopen after standing vacant for 20 years

Freshfield An artist's impression of how Common Barn will look once it is completed. The building is made of grey stone and has five windows over looking the Lake District. A new roof has been built over an entrance to the left. — Nibthwaite Common Barn is set to reopen after standing vacant for 20 years

A disused 19th Century barn is on track to be converted into a community hub for artists and performers.

Nibthwaite Common Barn, in High Nibthwaite near Ulverston in the Lake District, dates back to the 1840s and stood unused for more than 20 years until a local family secured planning permission to convert it into a new centre.

Work is set to be completed in August and the building will then be used to run workshops and house a live-in artist.

Jack Carter, from architect firm Carter Gregson Gray, described the building's conversion as a "relatively small project" which would have a "significant impact" on the community.

Freshfield Common barn during the restoration work. Scaffolding has been erected around the building. One workman stands on the scaffolding near the roof, while another is leaning on wooden beams on the first floor. — Much of the building's original stone is being reused

Daniel Livesey, managing director of DJL Construction, said sustainability had been "at the heart" of the building's refurbishment and much of the stone from the existing site had been reused.

The team was also using UK-grown Douglas fir in the construction.

"We have also worked with local craftsmen such as stonemasons, and all new stone and roofing materials have been sourced locally," he said.