Industrial, maritime and transport

Celebrating the innovative buildings, transport and technology that helped shape the modern world.

Since 1994 we have awarded over £660million to 1,700 industrial, maritime and transport projects across the UK.

We want to help more people conserve their local industrial heritage and pass on skills to younger generations.

What do we support?

Projects we fund include:

printing presses
pumping engines
windmills
historic ships
locomotives
natural landscapes transformed by industry

Project ideas

Our funding could help people:

uncover and record people’s memories of our industrial past
give a disused site a new purpose
restore and maintain operating machinery
reveal the history of industry in your area
explore the nation's network of canals
provide staffed visitor facilities and learning resources
help young people learn new skills and care for their heritage

See the stories and projects below for more inspiration.

How to get funding

If you have an idea for a project, we would love to hear from you.

Explore our available funding

A steam locomotive pulls into a station surrounded by daffodils while the driver leans out of the engine's cab

TR Locomotive No.1 'Talyllyn'. Credit: Luke Ryan.

News

Our £3.7million investment is helping Talyllyn Railway preserve treasured transport heritage

Thanks to National Lottery players, the iconic North Wales railway will continue to inspire and connect people for generations to come.

14/01/2026

An ariel image of a red brick 1920s building

Stori Brymbo has restored derelict buildings and given them new purpose. Credit: The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Projects

Forging a future at Stori Brymbo

13/08/2026

This former iron and steelworks near Wrexham has been brought back to life as a visitor attraction, community hub and business space.

26/09/2017

a historical photograph of sailing boats on a harbourside

Manx Fairy and Manx Beauty being built in Cellardyke in the 1930s. Credit: The Cellardyke Trust.

Projects

Preserving a historic fishing boat and maritime skills in Fife

Our £1.2million funding will help restore Manx Beauty – one of the last surviving boats built in the village of Cellardyke – and create training and learning opportunities for young people.

05/03/2024

Acknowledgement mosaic, Stockton Northern Gateway Townscape Heritage Project. Credit: Stockton Borough Council.

News

Announcing the winners of our acknowledgement awards 2026

Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council has been named the winner of our acknowledgement awards, with Hyde Park Picture House, Black Country Living Museum and Hull Maritime recognised as runners-up.

13/08/2026

Sunrise at Tollesbury Saltings. The red ship is the historic Light Ship, Trinity, now retired. Credit: Dan Brand.

News

We’re investing to protect the maritime heritage that’s shaped our shores

The UK’s historic ships have saved lives at sea, sustained coastal fishing communities and connected people and places. Now our funding is helping secure their future.

14/07/2026

The restored building for Stori Brymbo, from the 1920s. Credit: The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

News

Historic ironworks Brymbo unveils its 300million-year story

The former iron and steelworks near Wrexham, north Wales, will be transformed into a visitor attraction, community hub and business space.

10/07/2026

Visitors stand among the Calanais Stones

The visitor centre at Calanais Stones is now open for a preview season. Credit: Marie Martin.

Stories

Heritage sites to visit this summer

From historic ships to archaeological sites, there’s plenty of recently opened heritage attractions to visit.

a tour guide speaks to a group of five people standing around an information board in a stone building

Tours of Boston Lodge help visitors understand the site's heritage. Photo: Chris Parry.

Stories

Grantee Q&A: setting out your project vision and adapting to succeed

We asked Ffestiniog Railway Company’s General Manager Paul Lewin and Project Manager Edwina Bell about how they delivered the restoration of Boston Lodge, the world’s oldest continuously operating railway engineering works.