Barn Conversions
Bland Close Farm is a 118 acre family run mixed farm situated 2 miles from the City of Ripon.
Until 1971 the farm formed part of the Studley Royal Estate and is sandwiched between the World Heritage Site of Fountains Abbey and the medieval moated manor house, Markenfield Hall.
The farmstead contains a courtyard surrounded by a large John Carr style granary, wheel house, red brick parlour and two standalone stone barns.
Designed and built in the early 19th Century the buildings had become redundant for modern agricultural methods and as a result started to fall into disrepair.
The area has been converted into a holiday cottage complex providing high quality self-catering hospitality consisting of a single unit, farmstead barn, including 7 bedrooms for up to 16 people plus large outdoor courtyard area along with a second detached 2 bedroom unit, farmstead cottage, which can be stand-alone accommodation or as an annex to the larger complex.
2022
2023
2024
In the latter part of 2020, following Dannie and Grace's wish to return to the family farm, we started exploring various options on how to restructure the farm business to both harvest their skills and experience and, given the uncertainty and challenges the traditional family farm was facing during the agricultural transition, look to build on the changes already being made to make the farm long-term viable for future generations.
This further diversification included the potential of converting the existing traditional farm buildings, which had become largely redundant for modern agricultural practices and begun to fall into a state of disrepair, into farm holiday lets to allow others the opportunity to experience the wonderful part of the world we are privileged to live and work whilst retaining the working farm element in producing high quality food along with the vast natural bio-diversity enhancement achieved over the preceding years.
There followed many months of research into how we could achieve this whilst retaining the character and appearance of the early 18th century John Carr style architecture.
Plans for the conversion were submitted in August 2021 and permission was granted in October 2022 and work completed March 2024
Key contractors;
Architect Rob Thickett, Harrogate Architectural
Builder: Jim Weatherald, Weatherald's Construction Services Ltd
Plumber: Marc Gillingham, Aqua Development Services North Ltd
Electrician: Danny Sidebottom, Elite Electrical Solutions (Yorkshire)
Groundworks: Dave Delaney D.Delaney Groundworks & Plant Hire
Groundworks: Dan Heaton
Joiner: Luke Middleton, Luke Middleton Joinery
