REPAIRS to historic farm buildings not only help to preserve the traditional Lakeland landscape but can also bring economic benefits to local communities.

At a time when many traditional farm buildings are falling derelict or are undergoing second-rate conversions, new research shows that repair work can lead to jobs and prosperity in the immediate area.

This week The Westmorland Gazette got a chance to take a tour around the Hawkshead Brewery, which is one of the best examples of how traditional farm buildings can be successfully converted into new ones.

The Heritage Counts 2005 research, published by English Heritage, takes a detailed look at the role of the region's diverse rural historic environment and the potential threats to its future.

English Heritage's regional director for the North West, Henry Owen-John, said repairs to historic farms were not only good for the buildings but also for the local communities.

He said not only were new jobs created but some of the traditional building techniques of the Lake District were preserved in the process.

Repairs such as the ones at Hawkshead Brewery were part funded by government grants from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and carried out through its environmentally sensitive area (ESA) scheme. Between 1998 and 2004 more than £6.2m was spent on repairs to working farm buildings through conservation plans for 655 buildings, 35 of them listed, generating up to £30m for the local economy.

Simon Humphries, area manager for Defra's rural development service in Cumbria, said it was a case of supporting rural heritage for the benefit of people today and in future generations.

"These buildings grow out of the landscape rather than being put here and it is important they are preserved for future generations," he said.

"It creates employment in the local area for a range of different people giving it a new lease of life."

Andrew Herbert, conservation manager at the Lake District National Park Authority, said schemes like the one at Hawkshead Brewery allowed people to enjoy the qualities of the national park while fostering social and economic well being in the park.

"I think this is the next chapter in the history of change in the landscape and of the buildings," he said.

Most repaired farm buildings have been retained for agricultural use but some have been used for private houses and some for other economic ventures.

Hawkshead Brewery, which now employs a total of six people, started operation in July 2002 in a 17th Century barn that had been derelict for ten years.

Brewery owner Alex Brodie said it was good that schemes like the one at the brewery created new jobs but he was also wary that there needed to be more affordable housing in the Lake District National Park for workers to live in.

"The barn has been brought back to life and productive use. I don't think we could have done it without the government money," he said.