The Architectural Heritage Fund

20/08/2026

📣 Big news - we are delighted to have been shortlisted alongside Govan Workspace for Social Investment Deal of the Year at the Social Enterprise Awards Scotland 2026!

This nomination follows our £300,000 loan to Govan Workspace, which unlocked the completion of a stalled £2.3 million redevelopment project, and is helping transform the Category A-listed Govan Old – home to the internationally renowned Govan Stones - into a fully operational and sustainable community asset and visitor attraction.

Read more: ⬇️
https://ahfund.org.uk/what-we-do/inspire/news/social-investment-deal-of-the-year-shortlist

📸 Pictured here is:
1. The exterior of Govan Old. Credit: Govan Workspace Ltd.
2. The interior of Govan Old.
3. Hogback stones that can be found inside Govan Old. Credit: Dissonancefalling, Flickr, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.

Social Investment Scotland

19/08/2026

Built in 1771 by Richard Arkwright, Cromford Mills was the world’s first successful water-powered cotton spinning mill.

Arkwright’s invention of the cotton spinning machine, known as the water frame, revolutionised the cotton industry. It was his legacy that inspired the formation of the Arkwright Society, which purchased the Cromford Mills site in 1979 and set about a long-term plan to redevelop it.

Today, the Grade I-listed Cromford Mills sits at the heart of the Derwent Valley Mills – a UNESCO World Heritage Site – and is a thriving multi-use heritage and visitor destination that houses workspaces, cafés, and shops, and delivers a vibrant community activity programme.

“Thanks to the fabulous work of The Arkwright Society, the history of this iconic site is being kept alive for future generations.”

Find out more about this latest Project of the Week for : 👇
https://ahfund.org.uk/anniversary/cromford-mills

📸 Pictured here is:
1. Cromford Mills before restoration. Credit: The Arkwright Society.
2. Some of the buildings that have been restored at Cromford Mills.

19/08/2026

🔔 Job alert!

Following a significant increase in funding across our national programmes, we are seeking a hands-on, fully qualified Finance Manager (ACA, ACCA or CIMA) to help us scale sustainably and to provide support to the organisation in delivering its mission of helping create sustainable futures for historic buildings across the UK.

If you're a qualified accountant looking for a role where you can shape systems, support meaningful heritage and community-led projects, and grow with a scaling organisation, we'd love to hear from you.

Find out more about the role and learn how to apply today: ⬇️
https://ahfund.org.uk/what-we-do/inspire/news/vacancy-finance-manager

🗓 The deadline for applications is 9am on 7 September 2026.

📸 Sheerness Dockyard Church. Credit: Dirk Lindner.

12/08/2026

Success for John O'Groats Mill!

In case you missed it, the winners of the RICS Awards 2026 in Scotland were announced at a special ceremony back in June and John O'Groats Mill scooped up a series of awards on the night, including Project of the Year. 🏆

It also won the Refurbishment/Revitalisation Project category and was named highly commended in the Heritage Category.

The project, led by the John O'Groats Mill Trust, has developed an unused watermill in John O'Groats, Caithness, into a heritage visitor attraction and community venue. Now open from April to October, the restored mill is fitted with artefacts and museum displays, and provides fun for all the family, with plenty of activities and public events on offer throughout the year.

We are very pleased to have supported the revitalisation of John O'Groats Mill with two grants since 2018, and would like to congratulate everyone involved in the project on its success! 👏
https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/26231795.revitalisation-john-ogroats-mill-scoops-project-year-award/

If you want to learn more about the project, check out this case study on our website:
https://ahfund.org.uk/projects/john-ogroats-mill

📸 Before and after of John O'Groats Mill. Credit: The John O'Groats Mill.

11/08/2026

11/08/2026

We’re throwing it back to the early days of the AHF for this next Project of the Week!

These 18th-century houses in the Spitalfields area of London were originally built for Huguenot families fleeing religious persecution in France and later went on to become homes for Jewish and Bangladeshi immigrants. By the 1970s, however, they had fallen into dereliction and were threatened with demolition.

In 1976-77, as part of a campaign to save historic Spitalfields, The Spitalfields Trust conserved Numbers 5 and 7 Elder Street using an innovative funding model.

Today, the Grade II-listed houses remain in use as family homes.

“The rescue and repair of the houses on historic Elder Street not only secured a long-lasting future for these buildings as comfortable family homes, but also pioneered the use of the ‘revolving fund’ method – a funding model that has since been used by The Spitalfields Trust and many other organisations to save hundreds more buildings across the UK.”

Read more: 👇
https://ahfund.org.uk/anniversary/5-7-elder-street

📸 Pictured here is:
1. 5-7 Elder Street before conservation. Credit: Dan Cruickshank.
2. The actor James Mason helping campaign for 5-7 Elder Street in the late 1970s. Credit: Dan Cruickshank.
3. 5-7 Elder Street today.

04/08/2026

Looking for an example of the power of community action?

Following the closure of this cherished, Grade II-listed pub, villagers in Llandwrog were left with no place to meet or socialise.

When the building was put on sale in 2021, the community sprang into action to try and save it, establishing Menter Ty’n Llan – a Community Benefit Society – and raising over £400,000 in shares to purchase the site.

Having undergone complete internal renovation, Ty'n Llan re-opened fully in November 2025 with a brand-new look, securing its place at the heart of Llandwrog for many generations to come.

“Re-opening Ty’n Llan has transformed our village and brought our community back together.”

Find out more about this latest Project of the Week for :
https://ahfund.org.uk/anniversary/tyn-llan

📸 Pictured here is:
1. The community standing outside Ty'n Llan in 2021.
2. An aerial shot of Llandwrog, with Ty'n Llan in the centre.
3. People having a drink inside the renovated and re-opened pub.

04/08/2026

04/08/2026

Fantastic news that the Buttermarket in Redruth has been shortlisted for the Royal Institute of British Architects's inaugural Conservation Award 2026, as well as the Reinvention Award. It's also great to see that Jen Boddington from Architectural Thread has been shortlisted for the Stephen Lawrence Prize for their work on the project!

This project, led by Redruth Revival CIC – one of our – has given the Buttermarket a new lease of life as a fully accessible, thriving cultural and community hub, bringing together food vendors, artists, small businesses and a diverse programme of events. It’s a great example of a project that can help to revive our town centres.

We supported the Buttermarket project with three grants since 2019 for viability, development and capital work, and are so pleased to see that it is now receiving such well-deserved recognition.

Congratulations to all involved, including Redruth Revival and Architectural Thread. 👏

https://www.riba.org/news/uks-leading-heritage-projects-shortlisted-for-ribas-inaugural-conservation-award-2026/

31/07/2026

📣 We are seeking to commission evaluation consultants to work with us to develop and implement an evaluation framework for the .

The consultants will design and deliver a Monitoring and Evaluation Plan that responds to the objectives of the programme and aligns with the AHF’s broader evaluation strategy.

📅 Deadline: Tuesday, 1st September 2026

Read the full brief: ⬇️
https://ahfund.org.uk/what-we-do/inspire/news/ahf-seeks-new-evaluation-consultants-to-support-heritage-revival-fund

📸 Baguley Hall, Wythenshawe, Manchester.