Partnership in Action: Historic Haweswater Barn Reborn for Water, Wildlife and Visitors
At Haweswater, a historic Cumbrian spinning barn has been given a new lease of life through Wild Haweswater, a partnership between United Utilities and the RSPB which is all about showcasing an alternative approach to managing the uplands to benefit drinking water quality, protect wildlife and build resilience against climate change.
By rewiggling rivers, rewetting peat bogs, reconnecting floodplains, and replanting thousands of lost trees, the partnership is restoring natural solutions. This all helps improve the quality of water flowing into Haweswater reservoir – which provides more than two million people across Cumbria and the North West with their daily drinking water.
The barn, which neighbours the reservoir, has been carefully restored and is now serving two vital purposes: creating a welcoming space for visitors to connect with the landscape, while providing a safer, better home for one of its longest-standing residents, the brown long-eared bat.
Annabel Rushton, RSPB People and Partnerships Manager at Wild Haweswater, said:
“This converted Spinning Barn will make a big difference to us. We already get lots of professional groups from around Cumbria and further afield coming to find out more about our work here. However, before this we didn’t have any indoor space to host them in, which isn’t ideal in the Lake District weather. We can now provide a dry, comfortable place for these group visits as well our public events and experiences programme and the local community.”
The space will be used as a break area for the dedicated team of volunteers as well as to host professional groups and public events, where people can learn more about the landscape recovery work. The new visitor engagement space incorporates both visual imagery and audio information, explaining the landscape restoration work taking place, improving accessibility and inclusivity.
And it’s not just people who will benefit, the renovations have helped to improve conditions and conserve a colony of brown long-eared bats living in the ‘Bat Loft’ roof space. The newly refurbished ‘Bat Loft’ has been enhanced with special ridge-tiles in the roof that provide multiple entrances for the bats, and more hooks and crannies have been created for the bats to roost during the day.
Annabel added:
“We have worked with local ecologists from Simply Ecology and Cumbrian building firm Avara to ensure not only no negative impact of the work on the bats, but we have gone further to incorporate bat-friendly features into the barn to make it an even better space for them than it was before the renovations.
“As a former Cumbrian Spinning Barn, historically workers on the farm would have spun sheep’s wool on the balcony here. We were keen to see the return of timber features, rather than the concrete blocks that had replaced them in modern times. This building is an important part of the site’s heritage.”
But this project is about more than restoring a building. It’s about restoring connections, between people and nature, heritage and the future.
John Gorst, Catchment Partnership Manager at United Utilities, said:
“The partnership between RSPB and United Utilities is a critical project to inform our catchment works. Together we’ve already achieved some fantastic results. From the re-wiggling of Swindale Beck, to establishing Mardale Mountain Meadow, from restoring more than 1,000 hectares of peatlands, to nature-friendly farming, planting tens of thousands of trees and creating the largest native tree and plant nursery in the Lake District. All to re-nature this rugged landscape, improve drinking water, absorb carbon, and increase resilience to flooding, drought, and fire in the fight against climate change. This facility will be fantastic for volunteers, visitors and professional groups can learn more about the vital landscape recovery work taking place across the site.”
The restoration of the spinning barn has all been thanks to a £135,000 grant to the RSPB at Wild Haweswater through the Landfill Communities Fund from FCC Communities Foundation, a not-for-profit business that awards grants for community projects through the Landfill Communities Fund, alongside private donations.
Simon Settle, General Manager at FCC Communities Foundation, said:
"We are delighted to have supported the restoration of the Spinning Barn at Wild Haweswater with a £135,000 grant through the Landfill Communities Fund.
This project is a fantastic example of how funding can help preserve an important local heritage asset while creating valuable opportunities for people to connect with nature and learn about the vital conservation work taking place across this remarkable landscape. What makes this project particularly special is that the refurbishment has also enhanced the building for the resident brown long-eared bat colony, ensuring benefits for both the local community and wildlife for many years to come."
To find out more visit: Wild Haweswater - Wild Haweswater