The National Heritage Memorial Fund (NHMF) is the fund of last resort for the nation’s heritage, coming to the rescue by funding emergency acquisitions.
The result is the nation’s collection – an incredible world-class collection that will belong to the British people forever.
This treasure trove of essential Britain saved by NHMF is central to the story of our nation and its people. Every object and place is truly iconic and gives something tangible to our sense of identity.
NHMF is unique in its ability to save such a wide range of heritage treasures from trains to masterpieces, wildlife havens and manuscripts.
The recently saved Blue Rigi, for example, joins a diverse range of over 1,200 iconic objects and places which have been safeguarded by the NHMF over the last 27 years, including :
The Coenwulf Coin
The Macclesfield Psalter
The Mappa Mundi
The Mary Rose
Flying Scotsman
The last surviving World War II destroyer, HMS Cavalier
Brecon Beacons National Park
Beamish Exhibition Colliery
Sir Walter Scott manuscripts
Antonio Canova’s ‘The Three Graces’
Wordsworth’s Dove Cottage
It is hard to think of such iconic heritage leaving the country or even simply rotting away, yet without the NHMF, many treasured items and places would have been lost.
In recognition of the vital role it plays and to help meet an increasing number of applications, the Government initially doubled NHMF's income from £5million to £10million for 2007-2008 and recently confirmed this increased funding until 2011.
There is a clear distinction between NHMF and HLF. NHMF acts quickly as a fund of last resort to save British heritage at risk. HLF is about conserving and understanding the past.
The National Heritage Memorial Fund and its own history
After the Second World War, public appreciation of our national heritage was gradually forming against a backdrop of the loss of many country houses and the break-up of their estates. Despite this, the 1946 National Land Fund lay largely unused in the Treasury. The Fund was originally set up by the visionary Chancellor Hugh Dalton with a massive £50million to purchase land and buildings as “a thank-offering for victory, and a war-memorial which many would think finer than any work of art in stone or bronze”
By 1957 it had been reduced to only £10million and the trigger which led to its revitalisation was the sale in 1977 of Mentmore House and its contents.
A new National Heritage Act was passed in 1980. It set up an independent board of Trustees, gave them the money remaining in the Land Fund as well as an annual grant. The National Heritage Memorial Fund was born.
This new Fund was for grants to help acquire, maintain or preserve any land, building or structure, or any object or collection which is of outstanding scenic, historic, aesthetic, architectural, scientific, or artistic interest. The ‘memorial’ title was kept to show that these grants are made to preserve in memory those who gave their lives for this country.
For the last 28 years, the Trustees of the Fund have followed these instructions. Their difficult task is to decide what should be saved within the limited resources, from within the very broad span of our National Heritage of land, buildings, documents, objects and works of art.
The National Heritage Memorial Fund and the Heritage Lottery Fund
In 1994, the NHMF and its Trustees were also given the major task of distributing the heritage share of Lottery money for good causes, which it now operates through the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).
The NHMF continues to act as the fund of last resort, being able to act very quickly in emergencies. In contrast, Heritage Lottery Fund is funded by lottery money and offers opportunities for conserving our heritage with an even greater emphasis on improved access, learning and engagement.