The government has announced more than £41 million in grants for 74 historic buildings and places of worship across England, with funding intended to support urgent repairs, conservation and the return of important local landmarks to community use.
The awards, announced on Thursday 15 October 2026 by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), will be delivered through the Places of Worship Renewal Fund and the Heritage at Risk Capital Fund, administered by Historic England.
How the funding is divided
- More than £18 million will be shared among 51 places of worship, including churches, cathedrals and synagogues.
- Nearly £13 million will support 20 heritage buildings at risk, with projects intended to stabilise structures and restore public or community use.
- An additional £10 million, allocated over the remainder of this Parliament, will support conservation projects at three major national heritage sites: Dover Castle, Brodsworth Hall and Osborne.
The government says the programmes prioritise areas where historic buildings face substantial repair needs and local fundraising is particularly difficult.
Cathedral, synagogue and castle repairs
Among the places of worship receiving support is Birmingham Cathedral, where conservation work will address deterioration to its tower and dome. Funding will also support repairs at the Sir Moses Montefiore Memorial Synagogue in Grimsby and the Church of St Elwyn in Hayle, Cornwall.
The Heritage at Risk Capital Fund will support work at Margate Museum and Old Town Hall, including structural repairs and plans to return the vacant Old Town Hall to community use. The former Post Office on Abingdon Street in Blackpool is also among the beneficiaries.
The additional national-site allocation will help restore Dover Castle's fortifications and repair roofs at Brodsworth Hall in Doncaster and Osborne on the Isle of Wight.
Essex landmarks among recipients
Two Essex buildings feature in the official list of Heritage at Risk Capital Fund recipients: Bourne Mill in Colchester and the Kursaal in Southend-on-Sea. Individual award amounts for those sites were not specified in the announcement.
Part of existing national arts funding
DCMS says the two grant schemes form part of the government's wider £1.5 billion Arts Everywhere Fund. The £41 million should therefore not be presented as an additional £1.5 billion spending commitment.
Heritage Minister Baroness Twycross said the investment would help preserve buildings valued by local communities. Historic England, which is delivering the schemes, said the awards would address significant conservation and repair needs.
The announcement confirms grant recipients and planned projects; it does not mean that the restoration work at all 74 sites has already been completed. Further funding rounds are expected later in the Parliament.