Community Use and Fund Raising
The Red Cow Barn Development Community Use
We are committed to giving 10% of the barn’s annual usage to local, not for profit or charitable organisations and their beneficiaries. That is 36.5 days per year to organisations that are registered within the benefice of the parish of the Icknield Way.
We are seeking the views of all local people who may benefit from this facility in terms of how, what, when and why they may use it. Which is why you have been asked to complete this survey.
The barn project has come through the listed buildings and planning consent stages and there is a builder appointed to carry out the work.
However we now need to raise the required funds to be able to restore and repair the barn to provide a new multipurpose function room facility which will be part privately used and part donated for community use.
In truth we have a little over a year to raise £385,000 to ensure the barn is restored or we will loose our grant of £171,000 from Eastern Plateau – An organisation created to allocate funds from Defra and the European Commission for Agricultural and Rural Development.
If we fail to raise the money we will loose the grant and have to raise the required funds for the buildings, fixtures and fittings. This will cost £425,000. (In addition to this are landscaping costs of £130,000 and professional costs of £28,620)
If the initial required funds are not raised by December 2012 to leave us enough time to work on the barn and claim the grant money by September 2013, the grant will be lost and we will have no alternative but to leave the barn to it’s own fate.
We continue to apply for all other sources of funding we can possible think of including:
- The Country House Foundation
- The Heritage Lottery Fund
- English Heritage
- The Veniziana Fund
- The Essex Heritage Fund
- Viridor Credits
- Biffa
- The Alan Evans Memorial Fund
We are also committed to reinvesting all available profits from the Red Cow Public House to the fund over the next two years.
However there will still probably be a large shortfall required for the project to be completed.
We would like to set up an action group to help us to raise the required funds for the barn development – particularly in relation to it’s community use. We suggest that we set a target of £38,500 to be raised by December 1st 2012. This is 10% of the sum needed in the next year to secure the future of the barn. 10% is the amount of time the barn will be donated for community use.
We would like to have various fund raising events and schemes to help bolster the funds.
If you feel that you would like to help save the barn and put it back into good use, please contact me to discuss ways in which you can help.
We will be having a community meeting at The Red Cow on Wednesday the 1st of February 2012 at 8pm to plan our fund raising activities and discuss the findings of the survey you have kindly completed.
Ways in which you can help:
- Fund raising Committee Member
- Contribution of knowledge or skills in fundraising or networks of contacts who can.
- Marketing
- Accountant
- PR
- Enthusiasm and energy
- Donations
In the event of the fundraising targets not being met all donations will be returned to any private donors or fundraised monies will be donated to local charities or not for profit organisations within the benefice of The Icknield Way Parish.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank the entire community for their ongoing support and patronage of The Red Cow and we hope that it will continue to thrive and provide a social centre for the whole community.
Best wishes
Alexis Beeching
Toby Didier’Serre
Please contact us at
The Red Cow, 11 High Street, Chrishall Royston Herts SG8 8RN
01763 838792
07765341173
An idyllic English thatched country pub in the rural village of Chrishall to the west of Saffron Walden, The Red Cow is the perfect place to escape to the country. Whether it is for a simple bar meal or a more formal a la carte meal in our 32 cover restaurant we guarantee a warm welcome, beautiful surroundings and delicious, home made dishes.
For Diners. Freshly prepared by owner/chef Toby Didier’Serre all items on our menu will be prepared from fresh, carefully sourced ingredients on a daily basis.
For Ramblers. The Red Cow is located on the ancient Icknield Way - The oldest road in Britain extending from Ivinghoe Beach in Buckinghamshire to Knettishall Heath in Norfolk. The Red Cow in Chrishall is about midway along this 110 mile route. Walkers and ramblers are most welcome to pause for a drink and a bite and to warm cold feet on our open fires, or in the sunshine sit at one of our tables in our beer garden.
For Functions. We can also cater for functions either as a sit down meal or as a buffet for any occasion and would be delighted to discuss your personal requirements for your event, party or function.
We are included in the Michelin Eating Out in Pubs Guide, the Camra Good Beer Guide and The Good Pub Guide
Barn Development Planning Application Submitted
We are very excited to announce that we have been granted planning permission to extend the kitchen and restore and repair the barn on The Red Cow site. The barn is believed to have been built around 1500 and used for carriage and animal storgage. In addition the old post office building will be converted to provide toilet and storage facilities for the barn.
The barn will be used for functions and events and rather than an extension of the restaurant and will provide an addditional very smart facility for the village.
To view the plans you can see a video HERE or come into the pub where the drawings will be found on display.
We like the peaceful nature of the beautiful village of Chrishall and aim to retain that character. Below we have provided information as to exactly what measures we will take to ensure that the village is only enhanced by the addition of the function room and that the restoration of the building and the associated landscaping, access and car parking scheme will actually asthetically improve the centre of the village and give the village a facility that it can be proud of.
We have details the sound proofing measures to be used in the restoration process of the barn.
Versafire Board will be used on the outside of the barn. This has three functions, acts as a fire protection board to the main frame, acts as an accoustic barrier to the main frame (which includes the entire build up of insulation, internal lime render, external cavity and timber boarding) and finally is a ranking board to the main frame.
A webpage listing all the characteristics can be found at http://www.euroform.co.uk/versafire_technical_data.shtml
The board alone has an accoustic value of 38db on average. By the time the board has all the joints filled, the thatch is on the roof, the lime render internally, the cavities within the wall structure and the insulation plus external board the walls will easily meet the required accoustic values for this type of building.
In adddition we will of course ensure our guests leave the premises with minimal disturbance to our neighbourhood and that all our guests are personally met by the owners prior to confirmation of any bookings to ensure that they have a clear understanding of our need to be a good neighbour within Chrishall.
Our car park lighting will be low level ground guide lights from the car park to the pub and barn which will be no more intrusive than the current lighting we have in place.
With regard to licencing, The Red Cow currently holds a licence for the playing of recorded music until 12.30 from Monday to Saturday night and midnight on a Sunday. This music licence is used regularly currently and appears to be locally acceptable as there have never been any comments or concerns expressed by our neighbours with regard to music levels within the pub. There is no reason to believe that with the correct sound proofing measures being taken that the levels of sound coming from the barn will be any more than those currently found in the pub when there is a party, wedding, disco or other function.
If we were to apply for a live music licence we have no intention to seek a licence extending beyond 11pm on any night of the week.
Plans for the garden and landscaping look beautiful and the outside space is designed to have an air of peace and tranquility.
We welcome our neighbours to come and discuss their concerns with us personally and what our intentions are regarding the long term future of the The Red Cow and it’s associated building and landscape.
Chrishall
In Where Troy Once Stood by I. Wilkens he states,
“Not only rivers, dykes and barrows are important features of the Trojan landscape, but so are hills, regions and towns. To start with, Homer mentions three famous hills in the region. Zeus, who supported the Trojans, was believed to have watched the battles from a peak of Ida, the Gargarus, where he had a sanctuary and an altar for burnt-offerings (VIII,48; XIV,292). The most likely site is the high hill (147 metres (482 ft)) of the Ditton Woods south of Cambridge which is called Chrishall in our era (Cristeshala in 1068). In our era a church was built on top of the hill where once Zeus’ altar may have been.The Red Cow Public House is believed to be a 15th Century Structure at the very centre of teh village of Chrishall in Essex. The barn attached to the Red Cow Pub is the oldest building in Chrishall apart from the church, believed to date to 1500.”The Red Cow, Chrishall – Known Residents
Year Name Occupation Age Where Born Source
1848 James Petches Victualler White’s
1862 James Pitches Kelly’s
1874 James Pitches Kelly’s
1881 Walter Empson Publican 23 Thirfield, Herts Census
Charlott Empson Wife 23 Chrishall
Thos Chipperfield G.father/Formr Hawker 84 Hadham, Herts
1882 David Cooke Kelly’s
1888 W A Billings Saffron Walden. & N. Essex Directory1898 George Beadle Kelly’s
1917 George Beadle Kelly’s
1933 George Beadle Kelly’s
1949 W McKeown Saffron Walden & District Year Book
