Plans approved to restore Grade II-listed Lake District farm

The Lake District National Park Authority has granted listed building consent for alterations to High Bethecar Farm at Nibthwaite, near Ulverston.

The application, submitted by Miss Lorraine Nixon, was registered on September 3, 2026, with consent granted on October 23, 2026.

High Bethecar is a historic stone-built farmhouse with attached barns and outbuildings.

Its listed building description records a fireplace keystone inscribed "JCA/1756", while planning officers described the site as a 17th/18th-century farmstead with a high degree of surviving early fabric.

(Image: Planning documents)

The approved work includes removing gypsum plaster from internal walls and replacing it with lime plaster, lifting and relaying existing flagstones over a new limecrete floor and installing new partitions on the first floor.

Windows throughout the property will also be replaced, while cement pointing will make way for a traditional lime finish and limewash.

Roof repairs and a replacement roof light are also planned.

A design statement submitted with the application said the work had been "carefully designed to secure the long-term conservation of High Bethecar Farm".

No demolition is proposed and the plans seek to retain historic fabric and make use of traditional materials and construction techniques.

Internal work includes restoring historic fireplaces, reinstating the original snug partition and installing a farmhouse kitchen and bathroom.

New services and plant are set to be accommodated within existing attached stone kennels to minimise their impact on the farmhouse.

Planning officers concluded that the proposals would enhance the listed building by removing inappropriate materials installed during the 20th century and replacing modern features which have no heritage value.

Their report said: "The use of lime plasters, renders, limewash and a limecrete floor slab will enhance both the aesthetic and thermal performance of the building."

The existing windows were described as late 20th century and having "no heritage value", with their replacement considered appropriate.

(Image: Planning documents)

Officers also highlighted the wider significance of the farmstead, saying it contributes to the Outstanding Universal Value of the English Lake District World Heritage Site through its links to the area's farming and pastoral traditions.

Colton Parish Council raised no objections, while Historic England made no comments and the Highways and Lead Flood Authority also raised no objections.

No other representations were received.

Planning officers concluded the work would result in a "significant enhancement" to the building.

Listed building consent was granted subject to conditions, including a requirement for the work to begin within three years.