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The Nostell Estate Begins Build for State-of-the-art Grain Store

Published: 04.01.23 | by Peter Molyneux, Estate Director | 3 minute read

The Nostell Estate’s technologically advanced grain store begins to take shape at the estate’s Long Row site.

The Nostell Estate will repurpose an area of scrubland at Long Row, Nostell, building a state-of-the-art, energy-efficient grain store to replace the existing store at Low Farm.

The new grain store, which took 18 months of planning and preparation, will benefit from advanced sorting and drying technology and has in the region of 600 solar panels on the roof to reduce mains energy consumption.

The old grain store at Low Farm had grown from the bin stores built in the 1970s but has become uneconomic to repair and the sheds too low to tip large, modern grain trailers. The new system will allow the dryer to keep pace with our contractor’s high output combine, to make the most of any dry weather at harvest and allow the grain produced on the Estate to be safely stored for extended periods.

The main product grown by Nostell Home Farm is top specification Group1 wheat which is used in flour and for breadmaking. The new store features the latest technology including automated dryer controls to minimise over-drying the grain and remotely monitored sensors for ensuring the grain is in a good and safe condition

Farm Manager, Matthew Copley

To date, the build that began in November 2022 has seen the erection of a robust steel frame that forms the ‘skeleton’ of the store. The build is a collective effort, with input from estate tenants Swan Environmental and Paragon Highways.

Once completed, the grain store will be able to separate up to 5,000 tonnes of grain whilst monitoring the condition of the grain. The grain will be used for bread making, animal feed, oil and more.

This investment will help to regenerate the Long Row site, catering for various types of grain grown right here in the region. Greater efficiency and a lower environmental impact have all been factored into the build – we’ve made good progress so far, and I can’t wait to see the finished result!

Estate Director, Peter Molyneux

The build will return the Long Row site, which has been in the Winn family since 1654, and was previously home to 80 colliers houses, to working use following the demolition of the row in the late 1980s.

This new and improved grain store will greatly add to The Nostell Estate. We’ll be back with an update in the new year. In the meantime, keep up to date with our estate news on our LinkedIn page.