| The National Lottery Heritage Fund

Visitors inside the Palm Houses look up at the plants

Visitors to the newly reopened Palm Houses at Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh are immersed in ferns and palms under the restored glass roofs. Credit: Eilidh Cameron.

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Heritage sites to visit this autumn

Where will you visit? Discover the latest heritage openings made possible through National Lottery funding.

six people stand in a field with tall grass, with countryside fields and a lough in the background

Peter McEvoy, Director of Land Management at Ulster Wildlife stands far right. Also pictured visiting Fedian are, left to right, Sharon Archer, Senior Investment Manager at the Heritage Fund, John Witchell, Ulster Wildlife Chair, Dawn Miskelly, Ulster Wildlife Chief Executive Officer, Giles Knight, Environmental Farming Scheme Advisor and Nikki McVeigh, Northern Ireland Committee Member for the Heritage Fund.

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Grantee Q&A: the Heritage Fund’s flexibility in supporting natural heritage surprised me

Peter McEvoy from Ulster Wildlife shares reflections and advice on the different stages of the nature conservation charity’s project – from writing an application at speed to the surprising amount of nature recovery it’s already supported.

The Palm House greenhouse amongst the green landscape.

Spring arrives at Kew’s Palm House. Credit: Ollie Dixon.

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The Palm House at Kew Garden’s journey to a greener future

The project will sustainably renovate the home of globally important tropical plants and help audiences learn about the natural world along the way.

A view of the now-destroyed tree at Sycamore Gap on Hadrian's Wall.

Preventing acts of criminal damage to heritage sites is a critical concern. Photo: Gordon Leggett, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

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Crime, AI and innovation: what our heritage sector surveys revealed in 2025

Our new UK Heritage Pulse research investigates the impact of crime on heritage settings. It’s the latest insight from our conversations to understand the views and experiences of our sector.

Two people stand in a garden of flowers in front of an interpretation sign

Volunteers at the Railworld Wildlife Haven. Credit: Railworld Wildlife Haven.

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Case study: Railworld Wildlife Haven’s journey to an award-winning attraction

The joint winner of the Sustainable Project of the Year prize at the Museums + Heritage Awards 2025 shares how they transformed derelict land into a thriving green space.

A group of men and women in high vis jackets and outdoor attire gather around a newly built bench on a wooded hillside.

A community group build benches as part of the Lost Peatlands project. Photo: Neath Port Talbot Council.

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Grantee Q&A: how to build a compelling project narrative

Richy Pulman from Neath Port Talbot council shares lessons learned during its Landscape Connections project – from how to make your application easy to understand, to the importance of asking for help.

A group of volunteers pose behind some newly planted saplings, which are protected with tubing.

Hedge planting at Culgaith. Photo: Eden Rivers Trust.

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Grantee Q&A: the value of collaboration and planning

We asked Elizabeth Radford from the Eden Rivers Trust to share what she’s learned on the Trust’s project journey – from the vital importance of the development phase to the surprises that unfold over years of delivery.

A group of Trees for Cities volunteers pose for the camera during a tree-planting session

Volunteers planting trees. Photo: Saoirse Clohessy.

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Growing community connections with natural heritage

From curlews to historic mosslands, four projects in the North of England are celebrating local nature and putting people at the heart of plans to protect and restore it.

Two people sit in chairs holding hands with their other hands touching the leaves of a potted plant. Wires run from the plant to pads on the people's wrists. A smiling person in a Sense t-shirt watches.

Taking an inclusive approach to evaluation helps measure a wider range of people’s engagement. Image: Sense.

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Involving disabled people in planning and evaluation makes heritage more inclusive

Sense and the National Trust’s innovative and flexible approach is making sure everyone’s experiences are represented.

Supporting diversity, equity and inclusion in the great outdoors. Photo: Wayfinding project.

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Inclusion, access and participation: eight ways to improve your project’s reach and impact

Find out how projects we’ve funded are finding creative ways to open up heritage, involve audiences and create better opportunities to take part.

3) A visitor using a mobility scooter in the Wellbeing Garden at RHS Garden Wisley

The Wellbeing Garden is one of the many spaces with improved accessibility at RHS Garden Wisley. Photo: Helen Yates. Courtesy of RHS Garden Wisley.

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RHS Garden Wisley elevates accessibility and participation through collaborative initiatives

Wisley set out to increase the physical accessibility of their spaces, but with commitment and help from partners their journey led them down a much more ambitious path.

Three people are looking at worksheets and smiling.

Participants at the residential event in June 2023, as part of Heritage Trade Up. Photo: School for Social Entrepreneurs.

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Five tips for more robust and innovative heritage organisations

Hear from the organisations who took part in our Business Support and Enterprise campaign about how they improved organisational resilience in challenging times.

Landscapes, parks and nature

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