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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.

Thanks to National Lottery players, since 1994 we have awarded £3.3billion to more than 10,300 area, historic building and monument projects across the UK. See stories from projects we've funded below.

We provide grants for heritage projects from £10,000–£10million to ensure that heritage is valued, cared for and sustained for everyone, now and in the future.

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

How to get funding

Our National Lottery Heritage Grants programme is open for applications.

Find out more and apply
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.

The western end of Sauchiehall Street at dusk: on the right people are walking and cycling by a People Make Glasgow banner and on the left a group of people are standing outside a bar
Sauchiehall Street in Glasgow, which will be revitalised with input from the community and local organisations.

Projects

Sauchiehall Street: Culture and Heritage District

A long-term effort to regenerate Glasgow's Sauchiehall Street has received support through our Heritage Places initiative.

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