Feature Assessment: Built Environment / Farmsteads
# Farmsteads [we need to add the map in]
Overall vulnerability |
# Features assessed:
- Diverse mix of farmsteads within villages and more isolated locations
- Small and medium sized farmsteads with a wide variety of layouts
- Late 18th and 19th century farmsteads
# Special qualities:
- Landscapes that tell a story of thousands of years of people, farming and industry
- Characteristic settlements with strong communities and traditions
# Feature description:
A farmstead is the term for a farm and its associated buildings. Traditional farm buildings are a familiar sight across all areas of the Peak District National Park. Mapping has revealed there are a total of at least 2,523 farmsteads in varying forms within the PDNP.
They are an important feature of the historic character of the landscape. The relationship of farmsteads to field patterns is also regarded as very important, especially to irregular enclosure, medieval strip fields and common lands.
See ‘Field barns and outfarms’ for more detail on these features. This assessment only focuses on farmsteads
# How vulnerable are farmsteads?
Farmsteads in the PDNP have been rated ‘moderate’ on our vulnerability scale. This score is due to high sensitivity and exposure to climate change variables but a positive current condition, and a high adaptive capacity.
Although there are farmsteads which are disused, derelict or have been changed in use, the position within the PDNP is better than the status nationally. Farmsteads are sensitive to changes in agriculture, and although some funding is available for their conservation it is very limited and their future is uncertain.
Overall potential impact rating | |
Overall adaptive capacity rating |
# Current condition
Farmsteads are under increasing threat. Changes to farming practices mean buildings become redundant which can lead to dereliction and loss – in turn changing the landscape and historic character of an area.
A very low proportion of farmsteads are designated heritage assets and the condition of many is in visible decline, particularly the more isolated buildings.
Uncertainty over the future of upland farming and the need to diversify means that there is increasing pressure for conversion. Buildings that fall out of use are more likely to become derelict, see also ‘Field barns and outfarms’ for more information on this.
Mapping has revealed that in some areas of the UK up to two thirds of farmsteads are no longer in agricultural use. The highest rates of survival in agricultural use are concentrated in the uplands and their fringe.
The PDNP has a very high survival rate of farmsteads – almost 90% of farmsteads have heritage potential because they have retained some or all of their historic form. There is a fairly diverse spread of locations as well as layouts and configurations with survival rates the highest in the White Peak and lowest in the Dark Peak. Distinct patterns of date, layout, type and survival of farmsteads within the Peak District can be related to the local geology, topography and landscape character areas.