Category: Historic England

Grants Announced to Support Three Industrial Heritage Sites

Grants Announced to Support Three Industrial Heritage Sites

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Three more industrial heritage sites are to recieve addtional funding to help secure their futures, with the funds coming from the DCMS, the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, and Historic England.

The Litchfield Waterworks Trust will receive more than £47,000 for a comprehensive architectural survey of Sandfields Pumping Station. The building is on Historic England’s Heritage at Risk register. Dr David Dimeloe, Trustee and lead on the funding bid, said: “This is the culmination of a great deal of hard work and determination. We’re very grateful to Historic England for this grant and look forward to working with BHB Architects and their colleagues to develop a solid roadmap for the future preservation of Sandfields Pumping Station.” More details here: Grant helping to secure future of historic pumping station in Lichfield

The Canal & River Trust has received a £113,000 grant from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, a government programme aimed at improving pride in place and increasing life chances across the UK, for urgent repairs at the Ellesmere Yard on the Llangollen Canal in Shropshire. The still functioning boat yard was opened in 1806, and is one of the best‑preserved canal maintenance yards in the country. More details here: Vital conservation works underway at historic Ellesmere Yard

North Somerset Council has received an additional £62,120 for further restoration of Birnbeck Pier in Weston-super-Mare. This has been awarded by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Heritage at Risk Capital Fund, delivered by Historic England. The additional funding will pay for the initial conservation of the Grade II Listed entrance gates and turnstiles. It will also enable further work on the Grade II Listed Toll House and its extension, known locally as the ‘shell shop’, at the southern side of the entrance. More details here: Extra £62k makes more Birnbeck Pier landside restoration possible

Sandfields Pumping Station. Image copyright Dr Michael Nevell.

Industrial Heritage Sites to Recieve Grants From the DCMS/Wolfson Museums & Galleries Improvement Fund

Industrial Heritage Sites to Recieve Grants From the DCMS/Wolfson Museums & Galleries Improvement Fund

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24 local museums in England have been granted a share of £4 million through the DCMS/Wolfson Museums and Galleries Improvement Fund. The Fund brings together £2 million in match funding from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and independent, grant making charity, the Wolfson Foundation. It supports local museums by improving displays, enhancing collection care, and making exhibitions more accessible to visitors.

The five industrial heritage museums that have recieved £1,034,200 from this year’s grant round are:

  • British Motor Museum, West Midlands – £147,700
  • Black Country Living Museum, West Midlands – £272,000
  • SS Great Britain, South West – £46,300
  • National Tramway Museum, East Midlands – £210,600
  • Food Museum, East of England – £357,600

Full details of the all the museums receiving grants here: Local museums receive £4 million to improve accessibility to arts and culture – GOV.UK

The DCMS/Wolfson Museums and Galleries Improvement Fund provides capital funding for museums and galleries across England to improve displays, protect collections and make exhibitions more accessible to visitors. For 2025-27, DCMS and the Wolfson Foundation have each contributed £2 million to the Fund, which has benefitted more than 440 projects in its more than 24-year history.

One of the trolley bused that will be renovated at the Black Country Living Museum. Image courtesy of the Black Country Living Museum.
Walsall Leather Museum Given Listed Status

Walsall Leather Museum Given Listed Status

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The Walsall Leather Museum in the Midlands, which is housed in the 19th century brick-built, multi-storey, buildings of the former Withers and Son and Samuel Llewellen leather works buildings, was given Grade II listed status earlier this month. The museum is facing closure on the 11 April, although Walsall Council has purchased new premises in the centre of the town for the proposed site of the re-located museum. A time-frame for the re-opening is yet to be announced.

In announcing the listing, Historic England noted that “We recommended listing the buildings at Grade II due to their historic and architectural interest. Leather working is strongly associated with Walsall, and the town is still a major centre for the industry. The workshops on Wisemore are among a very small group of such buildings of this date surviving in Walsall, and so are of particular significance for the town as they embody the industry that played a major part in the lives of many local people.”

In response to the listing, Walsall Council’s leader Mike Bird was quoted in the local press as saying: ‘It might be heritage to them but at the end of the day it’s an old factory, simple as that.’

More details about the listing, proposed closure, and move of the museum can be found here: Walsall Leather Museum’s listed status ‘won’t affect move’

The listing details can be found here: Two former leather goods works, Wisemore, Non Civil Parish – 1495986 | Historic England

The Walsall Leather Museum. Image courtesy of the museum.

Free Heritage Carbon Webinars & Training for Industrial Heritage Organisations

Free Heritage Carbon Webinars & Training for Industrial Heritage Organisations

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Historic England continues to offer Heritage Carbon Literacy training, and free places on two new workshops:  ‘How to Measure a Carbon Footprint’ and ‘How to Write a Carbon Reduction Plan’. Both are designed especially for heritage organisations, such as industrial sites, who are just starting out on their carbon reduction journey.  Find out more and sign up here – https://historicengland.org.uk/education/training-skills/training/training-courses/carbon-reduction-training-for-the-heritage-sector/

Historic England has also published new guidance, factsheets, and resources to help cultural and heritage organisations develop Decarbonisation Plans for their heritage buildings. Developed by architects Haworth Tompkins through a co-funded Arts Council England and Historic England project, the free resources can be accessed here – https://historicengland.org.uk/advice/climate-change/your-organisation-to-net-zero/developing-a-decarbonisation-plan/. 

To accompany the resources HE are running a series of free webinars in March and April to go through the different steps in the decarbonisation process. More information and booking links here – https://historicengland.org.uk/education/training-skills/training/training-courses/carbon-reduction-training-for-the-heritage-sector/ 

Finally, Historic England is delivering a series of Heritage Carbon Reduction webinars. These have been developed especially for the heritage sector as part Historic England’s programme of Carbon Reduction training to help organisations reduce their carbon emissions. Topics include ‘How to get Trustee buy-in for your carbon reduction plan’, ‘Tenant/Landlord collaboration in lowering emissions’, and ‘Soil emissions in archaeology’. Training on further topics will be announced later in the year. Everyone is welcome to attend these free training sessions. If you can’t make it recordings will also be available on the Historic England website. Booking links here – https://historicengland.org.uk/education/training-skills/training/training-courses/carbon-reduction-training-for-the-heritage-sector/

Urban air pollution. Image copyright Historic England Archve.
Stormy seas crashing against a historic quayside. Image copyright Historic England Archive.