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.

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.

Workshop where children are doing rubbings on grave stones
Workshop where children are doing rubbings on grave stones

Projects

Restoring the tower and organ of St Mary's Church

The restoration of St. Mary's Church, a listed building in the Forest of Bowland, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Jodrell Bank telescope

Projects

First Light at Jodrell Bank

Playing an internationally important role in the heritage of astronomy, Jodrell Bank is the single surviving site that shows the whole story of the invention of radio astronomy right through the space age.

The Cathedral in Lincoln

Projects

Lincoln Cathedral Connected (KickstartGIA2020)

Lincoln Cathedral is one of the finest, and largest, cathedrals in northern Europe. This, added to its unique hilltop location, makes it one of the most visible buildings in the UK.

An old two-story brick building surrounds a paved courtyard

Projects

Belong Heritage Gallery

A former Grade-II listed pottery-turned-nightclub had been derelict in Newcastle-under-Lyme since 2006.

The shop front of Wilkins Newsagents in Dolgallau
The shop front of Wilkins Newsagents in Dolgallau

Projects

Preserving the town heritage of Dolgellau

This project contributed to safeguarding the future of Dolgellau, a unique town in the heart of Snowdonia National Park.

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