Grants and funding

Member of staff checking the records at the Plant Conservation Centre

From rooftops and rugs, to meadows and monuments – the funding we receive from grants makes a huge difference to the special places in our care. In 2018-19 we received around £17.5m from a wide range of statutory funders.

Grant income offers a vital support for many conservation projects at the places we look after. It helps us to plant new woodland and countryside cycle trails, create wildlife habitats, manage coastal landscapes and protect more than 300 historic buildings across the UK.

Because of the grants we receive, we’re also able to provide access to these amazing places, through the visits people enjoy and the opportunities available to join in with us and learn more about our conservation work.

Some of our most significant sources of grants are: The National Lottery (funding distributed by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the National Lottery Community Fund, the Arts Councils and Sport England/Wales/Northern Ireland), the Landfill Communities Fund, European grants such as Structural Funds, Interreg and LIFE, and central and local government.

These grants often enable the Trust to work in partnership with other organisations and charities to achieve objectives that go well beyond what we could achieve on our own.

We are always grateful for the support from our grant funders. Without this support, we wouldn’t be able to do some of our most important and innovative work.

Learn about some of our grant funded projects
Senior conservator, Heather Porte, working on the iconic Knole Sofa in the Conservation Studio at Knole, Kent

How the National Lottery Heritage Fund is revitalising heritage 

External funding is so important to the National Trust's conservation work. See what amazing things are being achieved for us all to enjoy, with the support of National Lottery players via project grants from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Explore the National Lottery Heritage Fund timeline
Volunteering is a great way to meet new people and learn new skills

Restoring Florence Court's garden 

We’re restoring the kitchen garden at Florence Court’s walled garden in County Fermanagh to how it would have looked in the 1930s. This project has been made possible thanks to funding from National Lottery Heritage Fund and the National Lottery Community Fund.

Rushing river and waterfall on Exmoor

Keeping Porlock rivers healthy 

Steep streams in Porlock Vale, Somerset, are at high risk of flooding. We’re working with European partners, with funding from Interreg 2 Seas Programme, to reconnect rivers with the floodplain and improve river banks to support otters, water voles and the resident bats.

Wellington Monument

Repairing Wellington Monument  

The striking Wellington Monument on the edge of the Blackdown Hills, Somerset, needs renovating nearly every decade. Thanks to funding from Highways England, Viridor Credits, Somerset West and Taunton Council, and Wellington Town Council, it continues to stand firm.

Birds eye view of Oxburgh's roofline

Oxburgh's roof restoration 

We’re taking on an ambitious £6m roof repair at Oxburgh Hall in Norfolk, after an unexpected collapse of a dormer window exposed a structural weakness. With support from National Lottery Heritage Fund and the Wolfson Foundation, we’re putting it right and inviting visitors on the journey.

Stone houses on the River Conwy in North Wales

Conwy Valley, North Wales 

Communities will be better connected with nature in the Conwy Valley in Wales, thanks to a funding boost of £1.2m from the Welsh Government. The Tir Afon landscape scale project will help create a cleaner, healthier environment for people and wildlife to enjoy.

Woodland on Horner Hill, Holnicote Estate, Somerset

Woodland work at Holnicote 

The ancient and semi-ancient woodlands at Holnicote Estate in Somerset are being sensitively managed to create a more welcoming space for wildlife like dormice, and our visitors too. It’s thanks to EU funding from LEADER that we’ve been able to buy machinery to make this work possible.

Lindisfarne Castle, Northumberland

New art at Lindisfarne Castle 

A grant of £32,000 from Arts Council England has enabled Turner-prize nominated artist Anya Callaccio to create a really special and unique installation at Lindisfarne.

Common Pipistrelle bat (Pipistrellus pygmaeus) being weighed and measured

Bat monitoring at Ightham Mote  

Our community bat monitoring and habitat creation project is able to go ahead thanks to grant funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund (£7,900) and Ibstock Enovert Trust (£4,900).

Interpretation room at Gupton Farm

Activity Base at Gupton Farm 

Already a centre for walking and wildlife watching, European funding via the Welsh Government is allowing for further enhancements to the farm, including the addition of an activity base and community hall.