The second call for the RICHeS Access Fund, offering grants up to £20,000 to museums, galleries, archives, libraries, and community organisations, is open until 15 December, enabling access to heritage science facilities, collections, and expertise. RICHeS is the UK’s national research infrastructure for conservation and heritage science. Run by the Arts and Humanities Reseach Council,…
Annual Museum Survey England 2026 Results
The Annual Museum Survey, run by Museum Development South West for the whole of England, surveyed non-National museums in spring this year. The annual survey provides a comprehensive report on the operating context of museums in 2026, including dozens of industrial heritage sites. Engagement with the survey increased by 12% in 2026, compared with the…
Nantwich Museum Recieves NLHF Grant for ‘Nantwich Salt’ Project
Nantwich Museum in Cheshire has received a National Heritage Lottery Fund grant (NLHF) for the ‘Nantwich Salt: the story behind the growth of the town’ project. The project aims to improve interpretation, accessibility, and public understanding of Nantwich’s salt-making heritage, which had a profound impact on the development of the town. Salt-production in Nantwich dates…
Esmee Fairbarin Communities & Collections Fund 2027
The Esmée Fairbairn Communities and Collections Fund is now open for applications for 2027. The fund, run by the Museums Association, supports work by museums and community organisations, including industrial heritage sites, to strengthen communities, using their collections. Grants of up to £110,000 over a maximum of three years, can be applied for. The Museum…
Historic England Launches Revised Heritage Gateway Webpages
Historic England has refreshed and relaunched their Heritage Gateway webpages this September. The Heritage Gateway provides access to summary records from national and local Historic Environment Records (HERs). As such, it contains thousands of records of industrial archaeology sites and buildings. Its a great resouce for searching across datasets and gaining an overview of England’s…
Legislative Changes Affecting Museums (and Industrial Sites) Coming this Autumn & Winter
Three sets of legislative changes coming into force over the next six months will have a material affect on how industrial heritage sites and museums are run in England. These are: Martyn’s Law (which has been blogged about on this website earlier the year), the Crime & Policing Act 2026, and the Employment Rights Act…
UK Heritage Pulse’s Skills Exchange Returns
UK Heritage Pulse’s Skills Exchange, connecting heritage organisations with people keen to share their time, skills, and expertise has returned. The service, funded by the NHLF, helps organisations find support in areas including conservation, digital projects, leadership, marketing, and other specialist fields. This is a very useful resource for those industrial heritage sites looking for…
Autumn Grants Update for Eligible Industrial Heritage Museums & Sites
This autumn’s round of heritage grants include three available for industrial heritage museums (accredited or working towards accreditation) and other industrial sites. Museum Learning and Engagement Grants Museum Development is delivering the ‘Museum Learning and Engagement Grants’ on behalf of Arts Council England, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), and the Department for…
New Research Shows Canals Cool Down Urban Areas During Heatwaves
New research from the University of Manchester indcates that canals in Britain and Ireland can cool city neighbourhoods for up to 50 metres from their banks, helping to combat urban heating, especially during heatwaves. The study found that canals cool their immediate surroundings during the day, typically extending 20–50 metres from the canal banks. Researchers…
SPAB: Current Topics in Building Conservation: Online Training
The Society for the Preservation of Ancient Buildings (SPAB) is offering four online training recordings covering some of the current topics in buildings conservation. Recorded in March 2026, they provide an easy way for professional industrial heritage staff to meet their CPD requirements. They will also help industrial heritage volunteers improve their understanding of some…
