Architectural Heritage Fund: 50 Years of Reimagining Heritage

To mark their 50th anniversary celebrations, the Architectural Heritage Fund is hosting a special touring exhibition across the UK this year. About Made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Architectural Heritage Fund: 50 Years of Reimagining Heritage will showcase the work of the organisation across People, Place and Heritage at The London Centre, London. Since its foundation in 1976, the AHF has supported over 2,400 projects in the UK, with their 1000th loan awarded in March 2026 as well as over 3,000 grants. The combined total of financial support awarded to projects in towns, cities and the countryside currently sits at just over £182,000,000. The anniversary programme will shine a light on AHF-supported projects in every nation and region of the UK, culminating in a celebration of a top 50 projects that demonstrate the enduring power of heritage-led regeneration. Located in the heart of the capital, The London Centre brings together the public, politicians, and young people alongside London’s stakeholders, senior decision-makers, and civic leaders from around the world to address key issues impacting the built environment. A central attraction of the venue is the ever-evolving London Model and City Model, offering a dynamic look at the capital's ongoing development. Each exhibition will highlight outstanding local projects and the people behind them, with the London leg including 29 English projects: 160 King Street, Great Yarmouth; 5-7 Elder Street, London; Alderman Fenwyck's House, Newcastle; Becket's Chapel, Wymondham; Britons Arms, Norwich; Clevedon Pier, Clevedon; Cromford Mills, Cromford, Derbyshire; Dewars Lane Granary, Berwick-upon-Tweed; Farmer's Arms, Ulverston, Cumbria; Former St Matthew's Church, Hull; Former Yorks & Lancs Bank, Bacup, Lancashire; Gorton Monastery, Manchester; Harris & Pearson Office Building, Brierley Hill, West Midlands; Haven's, Southend-on-Sea; High Street West buildings, Sunderland; House of Illustration, London; Ivy House Pub, London; Jubilee Pool, Penzance; Liskeard Library, Liskeard, Cornwall;, Manchester Victoria Baths, Manchester; Old Toll House, Stratford-on-Avon; Portland Works, Sheffield; Priory Row, Coventry; Sheerness Dockyard Church, Sheerness, Kent; Station South, Levenshulme, Manchester; Stretford Public Hall, Stretford, Manchester; The Department, Ryde, Isle of Wight; The Lighthouse, Harlesden, London; and the Camelia House, Wentworth Woodhouse, Rotherham. As well as giving visitors a chance to engage with the AHF’s nationwide work restoring historic buildings and supporting communities - from Jubilee Pool in Penzance, Cromford Mills in Derbyshire, and Collective Gallery and City Observatory, Edinburgh - the exhibition asks questions about the role of restoration in today’s society and the future of heritage in the UK. Our 50th Anniversary celebrations are made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players, we are able to mark five decades of our work in Reimagining Heritage and Transforming Communities across the UK, while also looking forward at opportunities for heritage regeneration over the next 50 years. Read more Toggle Architecture