Refurbishment and Restore Issue 27 2021 | Page 18

A UNIQUE AND RUSTIC PROPERTY

The Grade II listed barns and farmhouse at Elms Farm , Derbyshire , are packed full of history . Originally built in 1775 , the barns are the former home of the Little Eaton Brewery Company , owned by Officers , and were used as a malthouse and granary before later becoming a working farm .
Now , what was once the granary stands the home of Fiona Smedley and her husband John , who transformed the barn into the unique and rustic property it is today , all while ensuring the essence of its history remained .
Fiona ’ s father had bought the barns and farmhouse in the 1980s and ran the site as a farm until he retired in 2017 . It was then that he passed on the former malthouse and granary to Fiona and her brother , who took on the buildings with the aim of turning them into homes two years on .
Fiona and John worked with local architect , Paul Gaughan Building Consultants to draw up the plans for the granary , which was being used as a barn at the time . After a few tests to analyse the conditions of the
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