It was awarded a grant for the restoration and conservation of three historic telescopes and their domes.

The telescopes are of international importance, particularly the 1834 Grubb 15-inch Reflector, which is an important instrument in the evolution of telescope design. This instrument has now been remounted on the original pier in its original dome. The other telescopes have also been restored to as close to their original condition as possible.

Two of the astronomical domes were restored to full working order and the third dome has now been replaced.

The project formed part of a wider plan to provide greater public access for the Observatory. As a result, the public are now able to access these restored domes and explore the evolution of telescope design.