New for 2026: the Sheep Field Barn

Sheep Field Barn has been reimagined as a welcoming place to explore Henry Moore’s life and work, at the heart of his former home and workplace in Perry Green.

Originally an agricultural building used by Moore, the barn has long been part of the working life of the estate. Today, it has been carefully transformed into a light-filled gallery and learning space, while retaining its close connection to the surrounding landscape, where sheep still graze among monumental sculptures.

The gallery now includes a permanent introduction to Moore’s life and career, drawing on the Foundation’s rich collection and archive. Alongside this, a changing exhibition programme explores key themes in his work.

The opening exhibition The Shelter Drawings 1940-1941, presents Moore’s celebrated Shelter Drawings, created during the Second World War and central to his development as an artist.

Upgraded gallery spaces provide improved conditions for displaying works, including large-scale sculpture, while maintaining a calm and immersive visitor experience.

02_Sheep Field Barn ©Henry Moore Foundation

HENRY MOORE WORKSHOP NOV 2025 - Credit Rob Hill - 23

A place for making and learning

At the heart of the new building are dedicated spaces for learning, making and participation. Two studio-like workshops, filled with natural light, offer opportunities for hands-on activity inspired by Moore’s experimental approach to materials and form. Visitors, school groups and participants can create their own work in spaces designed to encourage curiosity, creativity and exploration.

Large windows and doors open directly onto the landscape, allowing learning to extend outdoors and maintaining a strong connection to the environment that shaped Moore’s practice.

Architecture and landscape

The redesigned barn balances old and new, extending the original structure with a light touch while preserving its character.

A generous entrance space creates clear views through the building to the surrounding fields and sculptures, reinforcing the relationship between art, architecture and landscape. Throughout, natural light and carefully framed views connect visitors to the wider estate.

HENRY MOORE WORKSHOP NOV 2025 - Credit Rob Hill - 50

What’s new

A permanent exhibition introducing Moore’s life and work
A new programme of changing exhibitions starting with The Shelter Drawings 1940-1941
Two state-of-the-art workshop spaces
Dedicated facilities for school groups and visiting learners
Improved gallery environments for the display of artworks
Enhanced accessibility, including fully accessible toilets
New seating, technology and visitor facilities throughout

Sheep Field Barn redevelopment

Five sheep are standing and sitting underneath a large bronze sculpture in a field, which is acting as a cave-like shelter for them.

Sustainability

Sustainability has shaped every aspect of the redevelopment. The new extension is built primarily from timber, with reclaimed materials reused throughout, including timber sourced from Yorkshire barns. Natural materials such as wood and sheep’s wool insulation reflect the agricultural setting while reducing environmental impact.

The building incorporates solar panels, energy-efficient lighting and ventilation systems, and improved insulation to reduce energy use and improve comfort. Together, these measures significantly lower the building’s carbon footprint while supporting the long-term care of the artworks.

Find out more about the sustainability of Sheep Field Barn

What’s on

Find out more about what you can see and do this season at Henry Moore Studios & Gardens, Hertfordshire.

See what’s on

The Art and Life of Henry Moore

A black and white photo showing an older man in shirt and tie working with a mallet and chisel to carve a sculpture from a large piece of wood.

The Art and Life of Henry Moore

This exhibition in the newly-opened Sheep Field Barn Gallery presents over eighty sculptures made between 1922 and 1986, alongside photographs and archival materials from the Henry Moore Foundation Collections.

Henry Moore: Shelter Drawings

A drawing of four adults and a small child huddled together under blankets. The figures are primarily drawn in white and yellow chalk, with some orange and red highlights, and are surrounded by darkness.

Henry Moore: Shelter Drawings

Our special display for 2026 focuses on Moore’s Shelter Drawings. Created during the Second World War, they are among the most powerful and widely recognised works of Moore’s career.