Wed 27 Feb 2019

£250k for Cadbury Barn Restoration Project

Northfield is home to the historic Cadbury Barn, that wasbuilt in 1895 by George and Elizabeth Cadbury.  It was torched by arsonists in 2017.  

However, from the ashes of one building comes the project for another.

Cadbury Barn at Manor Farm Park, just off Bristol Road South, is to receive a £250k payout from the insurance; the plan is to create community facilities there.  Previously, though the buildings were in a bad state of repair, they were used as a party venue for deprived children in the area.

Previous Heritage Lottery Funds had been proposed to turn the space into community facilities with a café.  As a result of the arson attack, there were fears that these plans might have to be put on hold, or even aborted.

The Friends of Manor Park Farm are now able to reignite their plans thanks to this insurance payout.  What’s even better, is that they are hoping to restore other outbuildings on the land too.

The first part of the project will be to fund the re-roofing of a lodge which will house some staff facilities.  Additional insurance money will also go into a feasibility study into finding out how many of the other buildings could be renovated.  It is hoped to avoid demolition, but it needs to be economically viable to restore them.

Either way, this is great news for the Northfield area and its local residents.  We look forward to seeing the inevitable creation of some brilliant new community facilities for everyone to enjoy and get use out of.



Image credit - Elliot Brown - https://www.flickr.com/photos/ell-r-brown/4735494126/