Documentary evidence for Kestle goes back to about 1300 and it is included on early maps from 1580 and 1695.

Image ©Helmut Schulenburg. Source English Heritage NMR.

The farmstead of Kestle Barton consists of the 16th century farmhouse with possibly earlier origins – it’s marked on OS maps as ‘mansion remains of’; the range of barns; and the 19th century piggery.

This is a rare surviving group of traditional and planned farm buildings that had experienced almost no alteration since the 19th century. Conservation architect Alison Bunning and the project team worked hard to retain the important aspects of the buildings, with as little change to the outside appearance as possible, retaining and repairing the unusual slotted doors and using traditional cob repair methods together with lime renders and mortars.