Fenham Hemmel restoration project

Fenham Hemmel has an important place in the Northumberland Coast National Landscape's agricultural history. 

A fine soft-red sandstone building that sits to the north of Fenham Farm, it is located near the King Charles III England Coast Path, with breathtaking views across to the Holy Island of Lindisfarne. Built in 1731 by Yorkshire businessman Nathaniel Payler as a granary to store grain before export, the building has been used since the early 20th century as a field hemmel (a field barn).

The farm was awarded £149,000 from Defra's Farming in Protected Landscapes programme and its one-off grant fund for repairing historic farm buildings to restore this special building and preserve its place in the landscape for years to come.

Repair works have included removing cement mortar and a thick layer of modern paint and replacing with softer, breathable lime mortar, replacing the concrete floor with a limecrete floor, reinstating some of the openings, and replacing the asbestos roof with steel sheeting.

The works were carried out by Historic Property Restoration Ltd and local traders.The Farming in Protected Landscape scheme was also used for improving the hedging along the field boundaries near the hemmel. Other biodiversity benefits include nesting and roosting opportunities for birds and bats.

Fenham Farm said: “The outcome is credited, with thanks, to all those who have supported the project, and to the skills and hard work of everybody involved. The process has highlighted how much the building means to those who know it, how special it is in the landscape, and its importance as a lasting historical link. We are so pleased to have been able to revive the hemmel and preserve it for many more years to come. We hope that others will share in and enjoy its future, too.”

The building is used as a mess hall for a Christian camp every summer, and for other purposes that are privately arranged with Fenham Farm.

Fenhamfarm.co.uk