Four new projects across the North West – including two in Lancashire – are being funded by Historic England’s Everyday Heritage grants programme in 2025.
Thirty new projects around England, sharing almost £0.5 million, will explore stories such as the history of the British Romany community in Nantwich, Cheshire and its contribution to the local area, and the communities connected by the Liverpool Overhead Railway.
Every one of the projects is community-led, linking people to sometimes overlooked historic places on their doorstep and the stories behind them.
Launched in 2022, the Everyday Heritage programme aims to celebrate working class histories. This time, projects have a focus on buildings or places in rural and coastal locations. The programme has already funded over 100 projects, totalling £1.8 million.
Duncan Wilson, chief executive of 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.”
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.”
New projects being funded by Everyday Heritage grants in the North West include ‘A Silent Right to Roam’ by Lancashire Wildlife Trust at Darwen Moor, which will explore the working-class heritage of Jubilee Tower, strengthening connections between communities and sharing diverse stories.
Built in 1898 following a successful campaign by local packmen, pedlars, farmers and labourers, the tower represents a historic working-class victory that saw 300 acres of moorland passed into public possession. After the Industrial Revolution, the moors became a workers’ refuge for quiet enjoyment away from the cotton mills and coal pits.
Today, Darwen is home to rural farming communities and many South Asian communities, whose stories and perspectives will be shared over a year of co-creation. Local creative and cultural groups will work together to uncover the hidden voices of the moors and Jubilee Tower, creating a space for communities to strengthen their connections and find commonalities in their individual and collective heritage.
Andy Mather, project lead for A Silent Right to Roam, said: “We’re really looking forward to working with all forms of artists across the local community to highlight the role the moors have played in Darwen’s past as a place of solace, work, identity and protest. We’re excited to share this across the town to even further increase people’s connection to their natural and cultural heritage.”
Another Lancashire project will explore Lancashire’s mill towns from 1900-1980.
Delving into the working-class history of East Lancashire, this project from Pendle Hill Museum, explores the evolving connection between work and leisure and how workers from industrial towns embraced rural leisure facilities in the 20th century.
Focusing on the picturesque villages of Roughlee, Barley and Newchurch at the foot of Pendle Hill, the project explores how working-class families from the mill towns of East Lancashire travelled to the countryside for relaxation, transforming these tiny villages into rural leisure destinations for mill workers.
For the first time, the project will capture working-class experiences of rural leisure pursuits as well as the untold histories of East Lancashire’s first-generation immigrant workers. By working with underrepresented groups to create a commemorative postcard series, this project will celebrate the diverse heritage of working-class leisure in the countryside, culminating in a co-created exhibition launched with a communal picnic.
Simon Cronshaw from Pendle Hill Museum CIC said: “Pendle Hill has been a place to rest and recover for many generations of Lancashire’s workers. There are fantastic stories to gather from the old boating lake in Roughlee, or the many thriving tea gardens and inns around Pendle Hill. There are incredible photos hidden away in people’s lofts. If we don’t record these memories, they will fade with time.
“It’s therefore amazing to have the support of Historic England in capturing and celebrating this rural leisure heritage in the villages around Pendle Hill. It’s also a unique opportunity to reflect on our own work/life balance and how the relationship to the countryside has changed over time.”
