Transforming Cat Hole Barn

February 10, 2021

Cat Hole Barn is just one of the 10 iconic barns we have helped to restore recently – and doesn’t it look great?

Through our Stories in Stone scheme, funded largely by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, we worked with specialist contractors to enable high quality restoration work to be completed – ensuring the barn could continue to provide safe shelter and storage for use by the farmer for many years to come.

The barn is located alongside the track from Feizor to Austwick which runs along the bottom of Feizor and Oxenber woods. Originally built in the late 18th or early 19th century, it had fallen into disrepair as its roof had partially collapsed on one side and was unstable on the other due to rotting timbers.

The roof on the porch had also long since blown off, leaving the supporting wall structures exposed to the elements which were beginning to deteriorate quite badly.

It meant that extensive repair work was necessary to save this precious barn from being destroyed.

Chris Lodge, YDMT’s Project Officer, said: “It was a great shame to see a traditional Dales field barn set in such a wonderful location deteriorating so quickly following the roof collapse. Thanks to the work of specialists we were able to restore it so it was safe for use – and remain a real iconic building in the area.”

In 2020, thanks to our funders and supporters, 1,050 metres of iconic drystone walls were built and restored. You read about our restoration work in the Dales here.