A traditional Cumbrian Spinning Barn has reopened at Wild Haweswater near Penrith, in the Lake District, following a full restoration funded by a £135,000 grant from FCC Communities Foundation.

The barn, managed by the RSPB, has been restored externally to reflect its historic appearance and completely refurbished inside, creating a new visitor engagement hub for groups visiting the site and a much-needed break area for volunteers. The renovation has also improved conditions for a resident colony of brown long-eared bats living in the building's roof space, known as the "Bat Loft".

The space will be used by the RSPB, which manages Wild Haweswater in partnership with landowner United Utilities, to host professional groups and public events exploring the landscape recovery work under way on the site.

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 new visitor space uses a mix of visual imagery and audio information to explain the landscape restoration work at Wild Haweswater, improving accessibility and inclusivity. A chair lift and accessible toilet have also been added, along with a kitchen area that makes the barn suitable for the local community to hire for talks and events.

A better home for the bats

The refurbished Bat Loft has been enhanced with special ridge tiles that give the bats multiple entry points into the roof, while internal steel beams have been fitted with undulating wood to create additional roosting nooks. The roof was restored in two halves at different times of year, ensuring the bats always had somewhere to roost during the works. Extra bat boxes have also been installed to support the colony as it grows.

Rushton added: "The building was also already home to a colony of Brown Long-eared bats, so 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."

Funding and heritage

The restoration was funded by FCC Communities Foundation, a not-for-profit that awards grants for community projects through the Landfill Communities Fund.

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."

Spinning barns were historically used by farm workers to spin sheep's wool, and the building is considered an important part of the site's heritage. As part of the restoration, the RSPB team was keen to reinstate original timber features in place of concrete blocks added in more recent times. Displays inside the barn now depict the landscape restoration work currently taking place at Wild Haweswater, including the use of native breed cattle and Cumbrian Fell ponies.

The Spinning Barn was officially opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday 27 August, attended by representatives from FCC Communities Foundation, the RSPB, United Utilities and members of the local community.