Carpenters, tilers and scaffolders have swooped to the rescue of the beloved but endangered barn owls of Bere Marsh Farm and saved them from the threat of homelessness as winter approaches.


Working swiftly, but with great sensitivity so as not to dislodge the iconic owls from the tumbledown barn they have occupied for almost 20 years, the team have put a new roof over their heads in a matter of weeks.
It was a race against time by The Countryside Restoration Trust, only months after purchasing and moving into their new UK showcase farm at Shillingstone, near Blandford Forum.

“We are both relieved and delighted that the owls are now safe for many years to come,” says manager Elaine Spencer White.
“We could not have asked for a better repair team. Not only was their work superb but they had to do it within a very tight time frame and, most important of all, without upsetting or disturbing the resident male owl.”

“Just for good measure they’ve even patched up his nesting box inside the barn which had become a bit dilapidated over the years. I think they developed quite a soft spot for him as he regularly flew around them whilst they were working.”

As well as a desperate race against time, the barn restoration also presented a tough dilemma for the CRT which had to launch an appeal to raise £30,000 for the new roof – but found itself with only half the sum by the time the deadline arrived to start work if the owls’ home was to be saved.

“We took a deep breath and went ahead in the hope and belief that the huge affection in which the local community holds the owls would take us a lot nearer to our target,” said Elaine.

The conservation and farming charity was not disappointed. Led by Knighton House School and joined by Bryanston and schools in the Blandford Schools Network, a children’s poetry and performance competition, Icons in the Landscape, was launched in support of the owls whilst several wildlife and conservation bodies weighed in with sizeable donations, not to mention scores of individual contributions from CRT supporters and the local community.

CRT fundraising manager Hayley Neal said: “It was a tough call to proceed with the work when we did but we are glad we made it. The precious owls are now safe and we are confident that in the coming weeks we’ll reach our target.”

Sam Watts, one of the two carpenters from Saxon Roofing Services who helped replace the rotten roof timbers on the barn, did his utmost not to disturb the resident male owl. He said: “We had to be so careful. It was a bit nerve wracking at first but eventually he got to know us and was curious about what we were doing. Without doubt this was the most exhilarating and challenging job I’ve worked on since becoming a carpenter. The male owl was just phenomenal to see flying so close to us whilst we were working. He’s got such a personality and it was a joy and privilege to work on such an important job.”

Local owls are now saved from the threat of homelessness as winter approaches

The owls are an indicator of a healthy eco-environment, and are regularly spotted at Bere Marsh. Originally, they nested in the roofs of old barns and hollow trees but recent trends of modernising and converting barns into homes have severely reduced their natural habitats and now up to 85 per cent of today’s birds nest and raise young in nest boxes.

The short period between the barn owls’ chick rearing in autumn and the start of a new breeding cycle in early December meant the CRT had the briefest window to make it happen. Luckily it was a race with a happy outcome.

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