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DBR’s new Southern Yard Education Centre brings a suite of historic agricultural barns back into purposeful use, creating a dedicated base for heritage conservation, specialist craft training and operational support. Set within the South Downs National Park, the site comprises four traditional barns and a former piggery, each carefully adapted to serve a distinct role within DBR’s expanding southern operations.
The principal barn now functions as DBR Southern’s head office, complete with consolidation stores and a fully equipped conservation studio designed for detailed restoration and finishing work. A second barn has been transformed into a joinery workshop, supporting traditional timber repairs and bespoke fabrication with modern functionality embedded within a historic setting. One of the larger barns accommodates a banker masonry shop, providing generous space for apprentices, NVQ trainees and experienced masons to prepare and finish stone for live heritage projects
The former piggery has been reimagined as a flexible education centre, offering a kitchenette and adaptable presentation space for CPD sessions, seminars and conferences. Across the site, purpose-built masonry walls and roofing rigs enhance practical learning, enabling demonstrations and supervised hands-on training in traditional masonry, leadwork, roof tiling and slating. These controlled environments allow trainees to develop confidence and technical skill before progressing to work on historic buildings.
Together, these facilities form a comprehensive training and outreach hub, supporting taster days, community engagement initiatives, NVQ programmes and technical seminars. The Southern Yard Education Centre strengthens DBR’s commitment to safeguarding traditional building crafts while equipping the next generation of specialists to meet the evolving needs of the heritage sector.
