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Historic England has announced 30 new projects exploring England’s rural and coastal working-class heritage.
Historic England writes:
Projects exploring the people connected to England’s oldest prison in Hexham, Liverpool’s Overhead Railway, known locally as the Dockers’ Umbrella, and the tradition of ‘Shrovetide Football’, an annual medieval football game still played in Ashbourne, Derbyshire, are just some of 30 new projects being funded in 2025 by Historic England’s Everyday Heritage grants programme. The full funding awarded is almost £500,000.
Heritage is all around us and can be a valued source of pride for local people. Every funded project is community-led, linking people to their local overlooked historic places and leaving a lasting legacy for the communities involved.
Duncan Wilson, Chief Executive Historic England [said] ‘Across England, we are all surrounded by inspiring historic buildings, landscapes and streets, rural and coastal heritage. These projects will shine a light on the stories of local, working-class people and their extraordinary contributions to our shared history. Connecting with our heritage helps us to feel that we belong and to feel pride in our local area. This programme gives communities the opportunity to recognise and celebrate their history in their own way, and to share untold stories about the places where they live so they can be enjoyed by more people, for longer.’
Other projects funded this year include one exploring the cherished 18th century Grade II listed Brockweir Inn in Gloucestershire, which was taken into community ownership following its closure in 2019. Another in Devon and Cornwall shines a light on the lives of the toll booth workers who have been at the heart of the Tamar Bridge and its community on both sides of the river since its construction. Launched in 2022, the Everyday Heritage programme aims to celebrate working-class histories, this time focusing on buildings or places in rural and coastal locations. The programme has already funded over 100 projects at a total of £1.8 million.
Heritage Minister Sir Chris Bryant [said] ‘The best bits of history are undiscovered nuggets that surprise us or make us think again. Everyday Heritage grants enable people across the country to dig up those nuggets and share them with a wider audience.’
Projects being funded by Everyday Heritage grants include:
- Gentle Waters, North Yorkshire
- Hexham: Prisons and People, Northumberland
- The Atchin Tan Heritage Project, Cheshire
- Under Our Umbrella, Merseyside
- Tower @ Twenty: The Ballad of Jaywick Sands, Essex
- The Holiday Makers, Norfolk
- Margate’s Deaf Voices, Kent
- Shrovetide; Past, Present & Place, Derbyshire
- Reimagining Brockweir’s colourful past, Gloucestershire
- Crossing Lives, Devon and Cornwall
