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Areas, buildings and monuments

Areas, buildings and monuments

People walking up steps to a castle with turret
Lincoln Castle. Credit: Colin McLean Photography
Safeguarding our historic buildings, monuments and archaeology for future generations.

Since 1994 we have awarded £3.3billion to more than 10,300 area, historic building and monument projects across the UK.

These projects can help to sustain jobs, support economic growth and protect heritage at risk. They can also bolster local pride, nurture traditional craft skills and help communities enjoy and make use of the places they care about.

What do we support?

Projects we fund include:

  • investment in places of worship
  • conservation and repairs to historic buildings and places
  • finding appropriate new uses for historic buildings
  • community archaeology projects

Places of worship

Places of worship are among the UK’s oldest and most cherished historic buildings. We want to help congregations become truly resilient and their buildings genuinely sustainable.

Places of worship we fund

Project ideas

Our funding could help people:

  • repair and transform a historic building at the heart of their community
  • help volunteers learn building conservation skills
  • rescue a building on a Buildings at Risk register
  • undertake a community archaeology project
  • regenerate a historic town centre or high street
  • look after and learn about a local war memorial

For more inspiration, see the stories below or browse projects we've funded.

How to get funding

Our National Lottery Heritage Grants programme is open for applications.

Find out more and apply
Visitors stand on the Hogarth Stair and look up at The Pool of Bethesda painting
Visitors stand in front of The Pool of Bethesda painting. Credit: Matthew Andrews

News

£4.9million to restore the heritage treasures of St Bartholomew’s Hospital

Thanks to the National Lottery funding, the ‘Sharing Historic Barts’ project will address urgent repairs to historic spaces situated in the Grade I listed North Wing of the hospital, including the 18th-century Great Hall. It will also provide a public programme with heritage and wellbeing at its
Exeter Cathedral
Exeter Cathedral has received a £4.3million grant for their 2020s Development Appeal.

News

£5.5million awarded to conserve cathedrals and churches across the UK

From conserving magnificent stained glass windows to creating accessible facilities, these places of worship and community hubs will be thriving again – thanks to National Lottery players.
Three people standing underneath a big palm tree in a conservatory
Frankie Toner, Policy and Public Affairs Manager at National Lottery Heritage Fund with Simon Milne MBE, Regius Keeper and Emma Lacroix, Director of Development at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. Credit: David Cheskin

News

£4million to save Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh's iconic glasshouses

The investment will also help to look after rare, extraordinary plants, encouraging visitors of all ages to care about the environment.
Six people posing for a picture in front of a Jazz music archive, including posters and frames
Engagement Manager Dawn Bainbridge (centre) on the job – visiting a jazz archive project

Blogs

Luton: A vibrant, diverse town with a rich heritage identity

Our Engagement Manager for England, Midlands & East, Dawn Bainbridge, tells us about our work and investment into Luton’s heritage – one of our 13 Areas of Focus.
The Bradford skyline
The Bradford skyline

News

We welcome Bradford as City of Culture 2025

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has announced that Bradford will follow in Coventry’s footsteps to become the UK’s next City of Culture.
People sitting in a sunny park, near a bandstand
Pearson Park in Kingston upon Hull

Hub

Thriving Places

We are committed to supporting heritage projects that create better places to live, work and visit.
The exterior of Calverley Old Hall following the restoration.
The exterior of Calverley Old Hall following the restoration.

Projects

Reviving Calverley Old Hall in West Yorkshire

Conservation of the medieval building along with contemporary design has brought the site into new use as self-catering accommodation and a community space.

A group of people in hard hats and hi-vis jackets standing under Glasgow Meat Market's historic sheds.
Caroline Clark, The National Lottery Heritage Fund Director for Scotland (centre) with Cllr Susan Aitken, Leader of Glasgow City Council, and representatives of Glasgow Meat Market Regeneration CIC.

Projects

A thriving community hub is taking shape at Glasgow's Meat Market

Regeneration plans for Glasgow’s former East End Meat Market to become a thriving hub for community, sport and local business have been given a huge boost with the announcement of £2.3million of National Lottery support.

Members of Wells Cathedral’s Vicars’ Choral wear long blue robes and stand outside their medieval stone and brick homes on Vicars’ Close in Wells
Members of Wells Cathedral’s Vicars’ Choral stand outside their homes on Vicars’ Close. Photo: © Mark Pickthall.

News

Cherished churches and cathedral’s choral street receive £7.4million

From restoring buildings with centuries of choral heritage to championing environmental sustainability, these heritage gems will thrive again thanks to National Lottery players.
In the foreground to the left is a standing stone long shadows reach out to it from a group of standing stones behind. The sun is setting with orange tinged light filtering through the cluster of stones
Sunset at Calanais Standing Stones.

Projects

Biggest investment at Calanais in 5,000 years

Our support is helping ensure a balance is struck between supporting tourism and protecting this important community heritage.

exterior view of a large norman castle in the middle of a city
We've supported Norwich Castle's transformation with £13million in funding.

Projects

Norwich Castle: Royal Palace Reborn

Norfolk Museums Service, part of Norfolk County Council, is turning back time to create an immersive and accessible experience of the Norman castle’s history.

a large ship docked on the river in Grimsby
The Ross Tiger docked outside the Grimsby Fishing Heritage Centre in North East Lincolnshire. Photo: Ellen Hunter.

News

£2.5million awarded to first 11 Heritage Places projects across the UK

The grants – ranging in value from £90,000 to £250,000 – will help projects develop resources and plans to bring their ambitions for heritage and communities to life in their local area. These Heritage Places are beginning a decade-long process of change with tailored support from our engagement
Looking South East over the site, a finger of grass covered land with water either side and a thin causeway visible at the top of the image. Trench J in bottom left; Trench P in centre, and Trench T in distance
The Ness of Brodgar site in Orkney.

Projects

Ness of Brodgar: past, present and future

As two decades of archaeological investigation at the ancient Scottish site come to an end, our support will ensure more people than ever can share in its history.

If you query is regarding our application portal, please contact our support team.