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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
Reverend Bill Shaw, 174 Trust Director
Reverend Bill Shaw, 174 Trust Director

Blogs

Duncairn Centre for Culture & Arts – one year on

Ahead of a visit by HLF’s new chair, Sir Peter Luff, Reverend Bill Shaw reflects on the first year of success at the Duncairn Centre for Culture and Arts.
Richard Bellamy, Pennaeth CDL yng Nghyrmu
Richard Bellamy, Pennaeth CDL yng Nghyrmu

Blogs

Diving in to heritage at Pontypridd Lido

Last week the much-loved Pontypridd Lido re-opened after almost a quarter of a century. Our new Head of HLF Wales, Richard Bellamy, explains why its story is so important to him.
Pont Gadwyni Hanesyddol Llangollen yn ail-agor i’r cyhoedd ar ôl 30 mlynedd
Pont Gadwyni Hanesyddol Llangollen yn ail-agor i’r cyhoedd ar ôl 30 mlynedd

News

Historic Llangollen Chain Bridge re-opened to the public after 30 years

Llangollen Chain Bridge will today be re-opened to the public for the first time in over 30 years. Eddie Butler, rugby commentator and presenter of the former BBC Wales series Hidden Histories, will officially re-open the bridge which is thought to be the oldest chain links bridge in the world.
Inside view of the Narberth Museum
Narberth Museum continues to inspire

News

Keeping the Local Heritage Bonds Alive

With help from HLF, a group of local volunteers helped restore the town’s ‘Bonded Store’. This ws a once closed-off building within Narberth; locked to the local community and a former store of kegs full of duty-free whisky, brandy and rum, only accessible with the opening of double locks on the
Cardigan Castle banner

News

Cardigan Castle fit for a prince once more

A four-year, £12million restoration project has sensitively transformed the 900 year-old site into a new heritage attraction, complete with luxury accommodation, riverside restaurant and summer events programme. Despite its name, Cardigan Castle has seen many developments since its medieval

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