Local artisans and businesses are invited to explore a historic grain barn at Pierrepont Farm Frensham, Surrey, where five commercial units will soon be available for rent as part of a thriving creative community.
The Countryside Regeneration Trust (CRT), a charity promoting nature-friendly farming, is currently overseeing an extensive renovation project of the Grade II-listed barn.
Two viewing days have been scheduled for potential tenants to visit the site and get a feel for the space, where building work is now substantially completed.
The events will take place on Thursday 12 March from 3pm to 5pm and Friday 13 March from 9.30am to midday.
There is no need to register for the viewing days and visitors are asked to follow signs for parking.
Full information on how to apply for a unit will be available on the day and staff will be available to answer questions and talk interested applicants through the tender process.
Kerriann McLackland, the CRT’s head of estates, said: “We’re excited to open the space for local businesses and artisans to explore. Whilst we’ve already received lots of interest, anyone who would like to know more about the spaces available is warmly welcome to attend one of our viewing days.
“If you haven’t already seen the particulars, these can be downloaded from the CRT’s website at www.thecrt.co.uk/grain-barn.
“We want to give people the chance to visualise how they can make this space their own. We’re eager to see a diverse range of businesses join this creative hub, complementing the artisans already based at the nearby Old Dairy, which we also renovated.”
The project is focused on preserving the grain barn’s historical features, while incorporating innovative, sustainable building techniques to make the space as eco-friendly as possible.
Natural building materials have been used throughout, including hemp blocks to insulate the walls, traditional lime render and timber fibre insulation in the roof.
Hemp blocks are particularly suited to historic buildings because they allow water vapour to pass through while retaining heat. This breathability prevents moisture build-up, protecting original features such as timber beams from damp and decay.
Heating is provided by air source heat pumps, which use significantly less energy than conventional electric systems. Insulating buildings effectively remains one of the most powerful ways to reduce energy use and carbon emissions, and the Grain Barn stands as an example of how heritage restoration and climate responsibility can go hand in hand.
Architect Robin Sjöholm of eco-building specialists Outpost, who has been involved with the project for many years, reflected on the journey: “We were approached many years ago to first look at this as a project and the interest at the time from the CRT was to pursue the use of natural building materials, and to the credit of the CRT, that has remained the ethos and the foundation of project ambitions.
“We delivered on many of the uses of natural building materials and natural insulation products and also gave the three barns a new lease of life for hopefully many decades ahead.
“These were quite derelict, agriculture barns with issues with the roof leaking, roof timbers in disrepair and evidence of water ingress and timber rot.
“We have taken an agriculture building that was built for a purpose at the time and we have given it a real injection of added strength and robustness – that’s really exciting to see.
“You can still see the evidence of the old walls in places and some of the old timber beams and trusses on view and you can see the heritage of the building but what’s fantastic is that it’s a highly insulated set of spaces that perform at a high level with low cost in operation.”
Importantly, they are also healthy spaces to inhabit as they haven’t been filled with petrochemical-based products but with predominantly natural materials.
To learn more about the available units at the grain barn, email property@thecrt.co.uk or visit www.thecrt.co.uk/grain-barn to download the brochure.
