Heritage at Risk Capital Fund Projects

Historic England is providing nearly £1 million towards restoring Woodhorn Colliery's mineshaft structures in Northumberland.

The funding will ensure the colliery buildings and their story is conserved for future generations.

Supported by investment from Northumberland County Council, the restoration project will also create training opportunities for young people in construction and heritage skills, whilst preserving vital community identity.

Urgent funding is needed as deteriorating steel structures pose serious safety risks. Without immediate action, these irreplaceable monuments to Britain's mining past face potential collapse, threatening both public safety and irreversible heritage loss.

After years of neglect, 2 grants with a total value of £98,735 will transform 2 Grade II* listed hobby rooms on Newcastle's Byker Wall Estate, bringing vital community facilities to one of England's most distinctive housing developments.

Karbon Homes will convert Spires Lane hobby room into a new community hub. St Michael's Mount will become an artist's studio for creative production and community engagement.

These unique buildings were originally designed as part of architect Ralph Erskine's bold 1960s social housing vision to encourage community interaction. The funding will restore their original purpose whilst addressing contemporary needs.

The Heritage at Risk Capital Fund will help transform a derelict early 19th century building in Sunderland into a community hub.

The restoration of the Tyre Shop will conserve an important historic building and dramatically improve the streetscape, with new traditional shopfronts and reinstated timber sash windows.

The grant will create a multi-use, active building including retail units, a meeting house for the Sunderland Quakers, and a new events space. The building will incorporate carbon and energy efficiency improvements.

A Sheffield church will repair its chancel, nave roof and clerestory windows with funding just under £500,000.

Recognisable by its distinctive bell tower, the Grade II listed St Catherine of Siena Church was designed by Sir Basil Spence, the renowned architect of Coventry Cathedral. It urgently needs roof repairs after its original copper roof failed, causing severe water damage.

Currently, 35 buckets catch rainwater inside the church and without immediate intervention, this community hub faces closure.

St Catherine's serves as the area's key community building, a home for everything from belly dancing to bereavement support.

St John's Church in Goole, East Yorkshire, will receive £100,000 to complete essential roof and masonry repairs.

This Grade II listed church serves as an important community building in the furthest inland port town in the country.

Since 2019, it has transformed into a Church of England designated 'Resourcing Church', offering weekly community activities including craft sessions combating loneliness, toddler groups, free Saturday breakfasts, and health support groups for vulnerable residents.

The project will make the building wind and watertight, enabling future plans which potentially include a daily cafe serving both locals and international seafarers from Goole's port.

The Grade II listed Salford Lads Club is receiving £437,961 funding for essential repairs.

Established in 1903 as a purpose-built club for boys, its original function endures, now open to girls, providing new generations with access to sport, music, drama and life skills. The project will include roof slate replacements and masonry repairs to ensure the sustainability of this famous community building in Salford.

The building is forever linked with The Smiths, through Stephen Wright’s iconic photo of the band outside the front doorway. It has become a pilgrimage site for fans with a dedicated Smiths room.

We are supporting the National Trust with £337,975 towards the repair of the Great Barn at Gawthorpe Hall in Padiham, Burnley. This Grade I listed building dates from 1605 and has been closed since 2008.

The grant will fund the repair of the existing roof and magnificent oak frame, enabling the public to, once again, access one of the finest aisled barns in the North West of England. The Trust is working with local people to gather ideas on how this space could be used again by the community in the future.

Historic England is supporting the Grade II* Morecambe Winter Gardens Preservation Trust with £767,222 towards the repair of the Winter Gardens, known affectionately as ‘The People’s Palace’.

These works provide an excellent opportunity to contribute to the ongoing volunteer-run and volunteer-led revitalisation of the building, which has also received funding from the Cultural Development Fund to bring back into use the circle and the gods.

Repairs to the structure and staircases will be undertaken, allowing the building to increase its capacity and continue to develop its success as a centrepiece for community and cultural groups, promoting civic pride.

Historic England is continuing to support the growth of Carlisle's Tullie museum with £200,000 funding for the regeneration of the Grade II listed Castle Street terrace.

This contribution will build on Historic England’s previous support for the museum where a grant was recently provided to fund vital repairs to their iconic Grade I listed Gatehouse.

Dating from the 19th century, these new additional spaces will help the museum trust continue their mission to create a hub for culture in the centre of Carlisle, while also enhancing the city's Historic Quarter.

The Canal and River Trust has received funding of £252,282 to repair and conserve the Grade II listed pumphouse and access bridge at the National Waterways Museum, Ellesmere Port.

Extensive wet and dry rot are causing deterioration to the building’s roof and structure. Due to its unsafe condition, temporary propping has been installed to the main structural timbers to prevent collapse. Urgent works are needed to ensure that the building and its bridge are secure and fit for the community to visit and enjoy.

Historic England is supporting the repairs to the Grade II* listed part of Gosforth Public Hall with £424,785 funding.

The hall, originally dated to 1628, is at the very heart of this rural community. It houses the village library, meeting rooms and is partially shared by the 1930’s village activity and drama hall. Notable features include a beamed ceiling and an inglenook fireplace.

Planned work includes re-roofing and re-rendering of the weather exposed elevations with window and masonry repairs all providing long term resilience for this well used community asset.

The Grade II listed Town Hall dates from 1859-1914 and is the most prominent architectural landmark in the historic old town of Lowestoft.

The building has been unoccupied since 2015 when Waveney District Council operations moved to new offices.

A £12 million scheme is underway to transform the building and bring it back into use as community facilities, including a heritage centre, art gallery, cafe, events venue and co-working spaces.

This grant of £707,000 will fund a restoration project, repairing the building’s roof, masonry and plaster work, and creating jobs and training opportunities, with heritage work placements, conservation skills training and community engagement traineeships.

The Guild of St George was established prior to 1376 and began work on St George’s Guildhall in the 1390s.  The current building was completed by 1401 with the first Royal Charter in 1406.  Listed at Grade I, it is said to be one of the largest complete surviving medieval guildhalls.

The Guildhall closed earlier this year due to structural failures that made public access unsafe. This £721,330 grant will enable critical roof repairs and infrastructure upgrades, addressing severe damp issues.  The grant will also ensure that newly rediscovered roof timbers, removed in the 1960s, will be renovated and replaced. 

The Grade II listed Iron Duke Public House was built, in art deco style, in the late 1930s and completed in 1948. The pub has stood empty since 2004 but was purchased in 2020 by the Great Yarmouth Preservation Trust, to bring the building back into public use.

Emergency repairs have taken place, making the building watertight. Restoration work, part-funded by a grant of £136,500, will include the repair of the building’s original historic fabric.

Members of the local community will be trained in traditional heritage skills, with a focus on young people not presently in education, employment or training.

Grade I listed Laurel Court stands next to Peterborough Cathedral.

Emergency repairs will investigate severe structural deterioration that has left the building standing empty since April 2024. The urgent intervention will make the building watertight and will address falling masonry that threatens its survival.

This is the first step in Laurel Court’s restoration. While these repairs will prevent further decay, comprehensive work is needed to complete the full repair of the building and its sustainable adaptation to a new use. Work is underway to explore options, including the potential for it to house the Cathedral’s Song School.

The bandstand has been central to Chapelfield Gardens, one of Norwich’s most visited parks, since 1899. 

This grant of £315,249 will enable the comprehensive restoration of the Victorian timber structure. The restored bandstand will provide a platform for community music events, performances and informal gatherings.

The Grade II registered park is an important green space for Norwich residents living with limited outdoor provision.

The restoration of the bandstand complements a programme of proposed wider improvements to Norwich’s historic parks, supported by funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, addressing declining conditions and use of the city’s most historic green spaces.

Built in 1605-08, Greenland Fishery House is listed at Grade II*. The building has urgent structural issues and severe draughts that currently make the building unusable during the winter months.

Essential repairs funded by a grant of nearly £100,000 will protect the building from further weather damage and make it accessible all-year round.

The historic building will become a home for the development of musicians and composers offering residencies, workshops, concerts, guided heritage tours and events designed for local young people.

This investment will create a community asset that enhances King's Lynn's cultural offer while supporting the local economy.

The Golden Lion sits within the grounds of Grade II* Listed Cannon Hill Park. 

Listed at Grade II, the timber framed former pub, originally called The Star, dates from the 17th century and was originally built as a house. The building is currently in a poor state of repair, disused and falling steadily into further decay.

This grant funded project seeks to complete the repair of the structure of the building, securing this relic of old Birmingham for the future where it can be used by the local community, over a million of whom visit the park every year.

Grade I listed Worksop Priory Gatehouse dates to the early 14th century. It once formed the entrance way to the medieval Worksop Priory, an Augustinian monastery founded in the early 12th century, and dissolved by Henry VIII in 1539.

The £178,147 grant will enable interior repairs and restoration, allowing the building to be brought back into the use for the first time in 25 years.

When completed, the building will house rooms for hire and a creative flexible space for a variety of different community activities and exhibitions. The project will also deliver heritage skills training for local people.

Built in 1878, the Grade II listed Market Hall is a key part of Burslem’s heritage. Closed since 2003 due to some of the roof collapsing, the building has significantly deteriorated and is currently unsafe to use.

This vital £1million grant will fund urgent repairs to make the building safe and watertight. These works are the essential first step in bringing this historic landmark back into use.

Once secure, potential uses for the hall include hosting community events, exhibitions, and local gatherings, allowing residents to reconnect with their heritage and enjoy the space once again.

Bethesda Methodist Chapel is a Grade II* listed building, known locally as 'the Cathedral of the Potteries', which stands as a testament to the power and influence of the Methodist Church in 19th century Stoke-on-Trent.

The upcoming works will include restoration of the chapel’s historic interior, repairing ceiling coving, plasterwork, and timber panelling on the walls, and carrying out structural repairs.

Ultimately, the project will transform the chapel into an attractive space, giving greater public access and allowing for a wider variety of events, supporting the building’s future use as a specialist educational, performance, and exhibition venue.

St Mary Magdalene is a Grade I listed 14th century medieval church and major community asset in the heart of the ancient market town of Newark-on-Trent in Nottinghamshire.

The grant of £151,163 will fund the final phase of urgent masonry repairs to the building. It is part of a larger National Lottery Heritage Fund project, which aims to improve access, facilities, the condition of the building and energy efficiency.

St Mary’s provides outreach to local people, schools and charities, and once complete, will host concerts, community, and church activities.

Corporation Bridge, a Sherzer rolling lift bridge in Grimsby, will be fully repaired and restored, bringing it back into use. The Grade II listed bridge in the Victoria Mills conservation area was built in 1925 to enable access across the historic Alexandra dock in Grimsby.

Its repair will reinstate an important part of the road network and improve everyday engagement with this industrial heritage landmark. The project includes new lighting, and the restoration of the lifting section will enable river traffic to pass under the bridge once again.

The works form part of a larger regeneration project at Alexandra Dock.

Bromwich Hall is one of only 3 Grade I listed buildings in Sandwell. Now a museum, the main hall was built in around 1270, and the current grouping of buildings largely complete by the early 17th century.

Following restoration in the mid-20th century, the building was run as the Manor House public house and restaurant until 2009.

The project will see the completion of urgent repair work to the building. This will prevent further damage to this important local landmark, which is greatly valued by the community and host to a wide range of activities and events through the year.

This grand Grade II listed building in the East Lindsay market town of Spilsby was built in 1827 as a courthouse and jail, before being converted to a theatre in 1984.

Until it recently closed due to the poor condition of the building, it was the only dedicated community arts venue in the town.

The £1,006,000 grant will be used as part of a wider project to carry out major repairs to the building so that it can be re-opened as a vibrant cultural and heritage hub.

Unseen Arts’ new creative community centre on Grimsby’s historic docks will contribute to the wellbeing of people in one of the most deprived wards in the country.

2 unlisted historic buildings in the Kasbah Conservation Area will be repaired, converted, and brought back into use. The project will celebrate the historic docks, once the world’s largest fishing port, which remain at the heart of local identity, pride and memory.

The creative community centre will provide a programme of movement classes, art workshops, exhibitions and performances, and a cafe, creating jobs for local people and driving economic growth.

Treadgolds, a Grade II listed building in Portsea, requires urgent roof repairs to safeguard its industrial heritage for the benefit of the local community.

Built during Queen Anne’s reign using surplus dockyard materials, Treadgolds has seen life as houses, an ironmonger, shop, warehouse and more. It is of great significance to local people who want it saved for future generations.

The grant of £485,200 will cover the replacement of defective roof coverings and lead gutters, and repairs to chimneys. This will enable the progression of a wider renovation scheme to secure the reuse of the building as a community-focused creative hub.

St Mary’s in Camden is a Grade II listed church which requires urgent repairs so it can continue to serve the local community.

St Mary’s has been at the heart of Somers Town for 200 years, providing a place of worship and much-needed community space.

The poor condition of the Gothic-style building has meant St Mary’s has faced threats of closure and even demolition. This grant of £639,064 will address the most immediate work needed to the church including repairs to failing masonry, brickwork and joinery.

The Greenhouse Centre in Westminster, is a Grade II* listed converted church. It belongs to Greenhouse Sports, a charity delivering sports coaching and mentoring to young people facing poverty. The 200-year-old building has been closed for several years as extensive repairs have taken place.

This grant of £663,100 covers the final phase of work so the centre can safely reopen as a thriving hub for a community that needs support.

Run by coach-mentors, in collaboration with the local community, all sessions will be free-to-access and designed to create belonging, build life skills, and improve confidence, resilience, and wellbeing.

At the heart of Penzance's historic Market Place stands the Market House, surrounded by elegant Georgian and early Victorian buildings that were once home to the town's most prestigious retail outlets. Partly vacant in recent years, this Grade I listed building is set for a remarkable transformation.

This project will build on Town Deal funded repairs to the derelict east section of the Market House, bringing it back to life as a vibrant food hall, restaurant and community services hub.

The restored Market Hall will help revitalise the town centre, strengthening Penzance's burgeoning food sector, while generating civic pride.

The Newlyn Harbour restoration project aims to conserve the historic 700-year-old medieval harbour, which fell into disrepair after the fishing industry moved in 1900.

The project will use historic photographs and employ local specialists to restore the granite structures and 19th-century wrought iron railings.

The restored harbour will feature over a dozen working berths for historic fishing vessels and serve as a vibrant venue for artistic and maritime events, celebrating Newlyn's rich seafaring heritage.

Since 1931, the Gaumont Cinema has been woven into the fabric of community life. Over decades, it has been an important backdrop, giving generations memories as a cinema, dance hall, bingo hall and multiple nightclubs. After 19 years standing empty, this cherished local landmark now requires urgent repairs to secure its long-term preservation.

This restoration project will repair the iconic frontage and revamp part of the derelict ground floor space, providing a rentable workshop for the community. The renovated cinema will preserve the vibrant history of the local nightlife while creating opportunities for people of all ages and backgrounds.

The restoration of Birnbeck Pier, the country’s only pier that connects to an island, will continue with the historic Toll House that sits at the entrance.

Closed to the public since 1994, Birnbeck has long been a symbol of Weston’s seaside heritage. Now, the derelict Grade II listed Toll House and its extension, known locally as the ‘shell shop’, will be carefully restored and reopened as a new community-focused space.

Plans include using the space to host exhibitions that capture local memories and oral histories, celebrating the voices and stories of Weston’s people.

The Grade II listed Pin Factory is part of Gloucester’s rich industrial heritage. This historic structure began as a 17th century timber-framed barn before transforming into a pin factory in the 18th century as a part of Gloucester’s flourishing pin-making industry.

Today, the Pin Factory is located within The Folk of Gloucester, a bustling community space.

This project aims to create a sustainable future for the building, repairing the western wall and restoring the deteriorating windows. This will stabilise the former pin factory and broaden its capacity for community activities, creating a welcoming space to host inclusive activities and workshops.

Built in 1828, the elegant building at 10 Parade Street once stood as Penzance's cultural and commercial centre, housing the prestigious Penzance Library, Commercial News Room, Savings Bank and the Penzance Shipping Company.

This project involves a full restoration of existing building fabric and refurbishment works, bringing it back into public use as the MusicAbility Centre. The Grade II listed building will welcome visitors 250 days annually, offering music lessons and groups, music therapy and regular concerts.

Since 1904, Swindon’s Health Hydro has been home to England’s oldest continually functioning Turkish baths. While the Turkish Baths have remained little altered, urgent work is required to save the roof of this Victorian treasure.

To secure the preservation of one of the remaining Victorian-style Turkish Baths in the country, the grant of £550,218 will deliver essential repairs to the roof of the baths, delivering a climate-resilient, environmentally enhanced roof structure.

When the Grade II* listed baths reopen in May 2026, they will offer affordable and inclusive programmes that respond to community needs, bringing back a culturally significant leisure facility.