Located in Fring, a disused flint barn has been restored with a rural grant, creating a beautiful new village hub for visitors and local businesses.
Oykel Farms Ltd on the Fring Estate is a diversified farming business involved in organic farming practises, forestry, renewables and tourism. The business manages its land in-hand, and they employ a full team in all the above industries. The business has properties let on short-term tenancies as well as a number of holiday lets with its tourism business growing to meet the demands of our customers from around the country.
The forestry business provides timber to markets as well as chipwood to the estate where it is converted to heat to provide for properties as well as to the drying of woodchip itself. There is a solar array providing electricity to several of the properties.
The Barn Grant
Around the farm estate are a few heritage buildings that reflect the rural history, charm and character of the local landscape. The grant project sought to convert a disused flint barn, previously a farm workshop into an arrival’s hub and café for guests of the estate and the public. This restoration and re-use project wanted to maintain he barn’s original features – with the addition of glass doors – and create a large parking area in the disused farmyard between the barn and the road. Electric charging points were included for guests and the public.
Essentially, the project hoped to restore the aesthetic nature of the site using its ‘agricultural beauty’ providing a hub for those staying to receive information on the estate and the local area as well as for locals. There are no services within the village of Fring so it was hoped that the project would form an important landmark in the area and provide a social meeting place.
The Outcome
After a lengthy application process, a grant was awarded to support the project. The project will now provide a focal point to the area. There are numerous footpaths that lead into the village as well as Peddars Way; this will encourage walkers and cyclists to use this as a stop off or destination.
The Barn will be used to display local artists artwork for sale as well as the sale of locally produced goods. The project will enable us to have a focal point for guests on the estate informing them on what they can do both here and in the wider area, promoting other businesses in the locality. It will also be a reassurance to the village that guests are informed where they can go and walk— something that was raised in planning as a reason for the need for an estate hub.
More recently, another local business, The North Norfolk Bistro Company Ltd, has teamed up with the estate to use Barn space to provide catering to visitors.
Owner and Director, Freddie Brun was the grateful recipient of a Rural Business and Communities Grant (RBCG). Funding is through the Rural England Prosperity Fund (REPF) from the UK Government.
Freddie commented, “The grant has enabled us to develop the Barn at a much faster rate. It is wonderful to see this great building used for a new purpose, as a hub to the village.”
New Anglia Growth Hub business adviser, Anthony Goggin, said, “It was a very interesting project to work on with Freddie and the team. In a recent visit to the business, I was able to see the outcome of the restoration by the highly skilled team of heritage builders.”
Oykel Farms Ltd and The Fring Estate were supported each step of the way by the Growth Hub and Programmes teams. The RBCG was delivered by NCC on behalf of the Borough Council of King’s Lynn and West Norfolk.
Do you have a project in the pipeline? Find out more if it is eligible and get in touch.
Register for our newsletter, full of specialist business advice.