Greasley Castle Farm: Derelict 19th Century farm to be turned into museum and events space in Nottinghamshire

A historic farm in Nottinghamshire will be given a new lease of life as a museum and events space.

Greasley Castle Farm, which dates back to around 1800, will be turned into a tearoom, museum, function room and workshops.

Broxtowe Borough Council unanimously approved the application at a planning meeting on September 6.

The large site in Church Road, near Watnall, is currently home to farm outbuildings and a farmhouse. Some castle remains and a moat are still on the site.

However, the site is currently in a “poor state of repair” so applicant Fisher German LLP submitted plans to revive the area in 2021.

Greasley Castle Farmhouse is a Grade II Listed building – and the earliest evidence of settlement activity at Greasley is in the Domesday survey of 1086.

The plans include turning the existing listed farmhouse into a tearoom and two-bedroom home, intended to be a holiday let.

The traditional barns would be repaired for craft workshops, function rooms and a small museum about the history of the site.

The events space with a bar could be used to host weddings and there could be a farm shop, deli or a florist as part of the retail unit proposed.

The workshop space could also include a microbrewery.

One of the buildings will be demolished to create 63 parking spaces.

‘Benefit the rural economy’

Cllr Lydia Ball (Con) said: “I have been on the site visit and I was amazed at how big the area was. I am going to support the application.”

Cllr Steve Carr (Ind) added: “I am all in favour of protection of heritage. I don’t think it should be at the expense of buildings deteriorating.

“We should be welcoming the reuse of buildings such as this.

“I will be supporting this application.”

The agent on behalf of the applicant, said: “The proposed uses will open the farmhouse and barns to the public, whilst providing a viable use to enable their repair.

“The reuse of the existing listed buildings will introduce uses including tearooms, a museum, function rooms and craft workshops.

“These will benefit the rural economy and attract business to the area.”

Council documents stated: “The farmhouse is currently underused and in need of repair. The proposed uses will also open the farmhouse to the public whilst providing a viable use to enable repairs.

“To conclude, the proposal to create a commercial presence at Greasley Castle is justified on the basis of the poor condition of the farmhouse and outbuildings and the need to find a viable new use.

“It is not considered the proposal will have a negative impact on the significance of the Heritage asset or any negative impact upon the openness of the Green Belt.”