I READ that barns in the Lake District could be turned into new homes. This brought back memories of the 1930s when the barns were a vital asset for housing dried-off cows for the winter.

With hay from the field and the manure to replenish it, they were almost self-supporting as water was always handy.

Now with the ever-increasing number of cows kept in the big dairy herds, sadly the once vital barns have now become obsolete.

Douglas Punchard, Helmsley