Areas, buildings and monuments
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.
News
£11.5m grant for National Army Museum expansion
The grant will help fund the museum’s ambitious Building for the Future project - a radical transformation of its offer, set to deliver new opportunities for accessing the Museum and its Collection.After receiving initial HLF support for the project in 2012, NAM, based in Chelsea, London, has been
News
St Peter's Church, Great Totham, wins Lottery funding
Both the oil paintings have been in St Peter’s since at least 1831, but one of them – a painting of the church itself, dating from 1821 – has not been seen for many years. Until last year it was hidden behind a cupboard in the vestry, where it had suffered badly from damp and dirt. It shows the
News
'Not Just Puddings and Parkin' at Selby High School
Students from the Let’s Get Cooking and Growing Club will investigate traditional Yorkshire food heritage and look at Yorkshire farming, fishing, food production and preservation methods. They will research and recreate traditional Yorkshire dishes using time honoured recipes and cooking techniques
News
Blackpool moves one step closer to £20million museum dream
Together with funding from Blackpool Council and volunteer support this creates a £1.6m pot for the development stage of the project. The Blackpool Museum, planned for the Winter Gardens building, will tell the extraordinary story of the world's first working-class seaside resort, celebrating its
News
Support for Bath Abbey's 21st century transformation
Bath Abbey has received initial support from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for a £10million bid for its Footprint project, a transformative programme of capital works, interpretation, collections care and sustainable energy. Development funding of £389,000 has also been awarded to help progress
News
Canterbury Cathedral’s new £19.4million Journey
Canterbury Cathedral is delighted at the earmarked funding including a development grant announced today by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for its £19.4million Canterbury Journey project. The Canterbury Journey will radically transform the accessibility of Canterbury Cathedral. It will safeguard an
Interior of Spanish City and Dome, Whitley Bay
News
Whitley Bay’s iconic Spanish City secures future
When it was built in 1910, its dome was the largest freestanding dome in the UK after St Paul’s Cathedral. A quintessential Edwardian seaside resort, at its height Spanish City and Whitley Bay Pleasure Gardens attracted tens of thousands of visitors from across the UK. Following a period of decline
News
Green light for Hatton Gallery
The project involves conserving the gallery’s historic and architectural elements, while creating a vibrant and modern exhibition space that will help bring about a new era for art exhibitions and learning in the city. Plans include better interpretation of the iconic Schwitters Merzbarn Wall
News
Brackley Town Hall restoration project secures Lottery support
The project aims to deliver the comprehensive restoration of the Grade II* Listed building which is currently identified as being in a vulnerable condition. Development funding of around £100,000 has also been awarded to help Brackley Town Council progress their plans to apply for a full grant at a
News
Thumbs up for Highcliffe Castle
Development funding of £233,100 has also been awarded to help the council progress their plans to apply for a full grant at a later date. The project aims to repair and reopen a full wing of the castle which is currently derelict inside, and create a dynamic Heritage Centre for visitors to discover
News
Birthplace of the ‘welly’ to kickstart regeneration thanks to HLF
The former headquarters of the North British Rubber Company, birthplace of the Wellington boot, the modern motor car tyre, and the first ever traffic cone, is a step closer to being saved from demolition and transformed into a world class visual and creative arts centre following major support
News
Bees, boats and Brunel
Today, the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) is announcing funding of £30m towards 10 projects that reflect the diversity of the UK’s heritage. They include a far-reaching project to help protect the future of our seriously dwindling bee population, two projects which showcase Bristol as one of the major