Nancy Stedman, trustee of The Friends of the Dales charity takes a closer look. THERE are many pressures facing the Yorkshire Dales, from loss of services, an ageing population and car-borne tourism to a disastrous decline in wildlife. One particular issue is how to conserve the many field barns which are such key features of the internationally recognised and unique historic landscape, created by livestock farmers and lead miners over the centuries. They contribute to our understanding of the history of the landscape, and many contain valuable historic features revealing how they were built and used. Although most are not listed, their value as historic assets is considerable.