You can do the job without taking down the whole wall. cut out the lintel slot first and cast a new one in-situ from there it is easy.

Alternatively you could use "strong boys" -- how wide are the new openings?

How come you dont have hardly any eves or gable overhangs? I cant see why you need air vents?

The roof looks a bit odd as the original builder ordered the trusses and they aren't right. Nothing he did was. The trusses are loft trusses so they aren't light. The original builder intended for the stone walls to support the roof whereas the roof is now held up by the new internal wooden frame, hence the gap above the side wall and the existing (scrap) windows and lintels looking too low. If I'd known that it would be timber framed before the trusses were ordered then I would have had different trusses made giving an upper floor, the ones I have are only going to provide storage space (not enough headroom). The land slopes and you're looking at the downhill side, so there's a bit of a perspective problem with the photo. The windows that can be seen are old things which are coming out as they are too small and in the wrong positions and the stoneworlk around them is a bodge-up from a previous owner. What I didn't mention in my first post is that I have had reinforced concrete window sets made in imitation stone (lintel, cill and sides) for each window going into the stone walls, with matching cills in the block walls, so casting in a lintel would make that stuff redundant and wouldn't look too good in comparison (IMHO). I have seen in a hire shop catalogue a wall support which is 'one-sided' that doesn't need needles all the way through with supports both sides, so maybe that could be used.
My basic problem is finding someone capable of doing the work. All building trades are going flat-out up here and finding someone willing to build in stone when the big building firms are paying silly money on the estates for concrete block layers is a problem. The windows going in the gable end are 900mm wide.
I agree that the walls, when reworked and repointed will be a feature and shouldn't be knocked down, but the building can't stay as it is indefinitely and I am trying to come up with options that will enable me to get it finished using the labour I can find. You have hit the nail on the head, it's finding someone who can do it which is my biggest problem..
The planners are somewhat notorious here, I've been waiting well over three months for a planning opinion on a potential building plot. They are so busy they forget what they are supposed to be doing.. It's all promises to attend (when you can actually get them on the phone) but they never show up. Our building control officer, on the other hand, is great and very helpful.
My query on the necessity (or not) of having wall air vents stems from a TV programme some years back on timber framed houses having the frames going rotten because there was no ventilation through the outer skin of concrete blocks. The brand new timber framed house which has just been built along the road has a vent about every 4ft in the outside skin. Why do you feel my old crock of a place doesn't need them? Especially as the walls have no DPC.. I have to admit I don't know the Regs. regarding it, but I'll enquire..
Many thanks for both replies.. Ed.

I wonder what sort of stone it is - looks a bit like granite, which is not that absorbent, but if you are worried about damp rising through the walls, making it breathable as the previous writer says is obligatory. If you're still worried, remove the turf from around the base of the walls and replace with gravel, or something porous, to allow evaporation from a lower level. The next step. if necessary, would be a French drain. The lack of length in the eaves bothers me - you'll get more rain falling on the face of the walls than is ideal. I don't know if the eaves and/or gables could be extended at all - I'm not a roofer. As to the new windows, I don't know if the walls are mortared throughout, or are drystone inside. If they are mortared, there's not as much wall to support above a window opening as you might think - just an imaginary triangle 900 wide by the same at the apex. It's only that area of stonework that has to be supported, and even then, stone walls, if well built hang together surprisingly well, which is why strongboys would be the best bet if you can't put a prop inside the building. Would the lintel be concrete or timber, or both?

You haven't exactly fallen in love with the place, have you?!

I would strongly advise NOT to take the walls down if that would breech your PP. I recall reading a post by someone on another forum that had exactly this problem. Building Control had told them they had to take a wall down because it was unsafe, they did that but before they could rebuild it the planning office cancelled their PP because the building was no longer considered a conversion but a knock down and rebuild. A new application was refused and last I heard they were going to appeal.

EDF email me on timber-works@tiscali.co.uk, I know a good builder who likes working in the Scottish countryside!

oops, dot not hyphen! my man has a motor home!

Irrespective of what the planners have said, it is legal to repair a wall. If you need to take down part of, or a whole wall and reconstruct it, while not increasing the footprint then the planners can't say anything.

As a side, a good competent builder who is used to dealing with stone should be able to install these lintels.

edf

remember to treat all timber before you install it. the builders who refurbished this house before we bought it 20 years ago did not bother and now every piece of "new" timber has woodworm whereas the old timber the woodworm is dormant.As a matter of course we spray every 5 years to keep on top of the woodworm.

The planners are covering themselves after the plethora of south easters buying derelict farms knocking them down and putting up near mansions and occupying them 9 weeks a year. The problem is they dont have the time to spend helping people through projects in a similar way that the bco's will happily do.
Daren the planning permission is granted on the basis of re-instating an existing partial structure. You are right in what you say but only so when referring to an existing or reinstated building. the danger is in giving permission for renovation of traditional stone barns, then hearing they've been ripped down and brand new structures erected in their place.

I would imagine for a competent team you are looking at most a few weeks work to sort out the structure. So step back review what you've got and what drew you to the place. produce a free web page using google pagemaker and put up a page or two on the structure and a page on the area. Look into arranging decent accommodation or services for caravans/motorhomes, create a fire pit / barbecue area and sell the job as as a paid change of scenery for skilled workers. Ask for references, set up an account with the builders merchant and pay that directly, make sure they know its for materials only and even ask them to call you to confirm any orders over £250 are okay to go through.
Make sure the site is clean and tidy, provide a hired toilet, and cleaning facilities, the investment will pay massive dividends in helping to find a decent few guys that will come up and do a week or two then a few long weekends.
Once you have a few webpages up post links on here and a few other forums. Look into small works contract, employ on a labour only basis and have a solicitor hold the funds for release on completion of work stages or timescales.

Refurbishment of barns is usually rule of thumbed at £1k m2 floor area.