Historic Barn Restoration Emley Farm

The FiPL Historic Buildings Restoration Grant (HBRG) was a standalone capital grant fund within the FiPL programme, for buildings delivering under the ‘Place’ theme.

The National Trust successfully applied to the fund for works to restore three of the farm buildings at Emley Farm, near Bowlhead Green.  This beautiful site comprises a 16th/17th century farmhouse, a late 17th century threshing barn, a late 18th century granary, an early 18th century cowhouse/stable and adjoining late 18th/early 19th century threshing barn (all listed), as well as a 19th century stable and cart shed.   As a group, the farmstead has considerable heritage importance due to its unaltered state since the introduction of modern farming techniques and machinery. The grouping of the buildings and their rural setting provide a valuable example of traditional large farmsteads within the Surrey Hills.  Farmsteads of this type are becoming increasingly rare and where they do survive, they are commonly over manicured and lose much of their inherent charm.

The funding was awarded for specialist contractors to restore the external envelope of these ‘at risk’ Grade II listed barns, preventing further water damage, reducing the risk of loss of original material and securing the stability of the structures. This will also allow safer access for the public to the outside of the buildings via the footpaths which pass directly through the farmyard.

The National Trust said, “On a moonlit evening Emley appears like Brigadoon, a place beyond time and reality. The farm complex is an important refuge for rare wildlife such as resident Barn Owls and roosting bats. The barns form part of an ecosystem which includes two veteran 500-year-old Sessile oaks adjacent to the barns. The owls use both the barns and the trees to watch and to hunt prey in the rough grassland paddocks which surround the buildings… The work will provide a visual backdrop to how we share the story of Emley with visitors and explore the history of the landscape here as well as changing farming practices that have changed the focus of many farms across Surrey. Emley survives as a historic time capsule and this work will allow people to experience this on various levels rather than just through surveys and old photos… The restoration will ensure that these important rare vernacular relics will not be lost, and they will continue to play their part in the rich social historical tapestry of the Surrey rural landscape.”

In April 2025, this project was awarded as highly commended at the Surrey Historical Buildings Trust Awards. Read the story here.