Ushaw Historic House, Chapels & Gardens is delighted to announce that it has been awarded a total of £400,000 in funding to support a transformative vision for the site.
The National Lottery Heritage Fund has awarded £250,000 and Historic England has granted £150,000 to support the next phase of development at this nationally significant heritage site.
The funding will underpin “Unlocking Ushaw: Heritage, Community and the Spirit of Emancipation” a major project designed to secure the long-term future of Ushaw as a heritage destination, conserve its architecturally and historically significant assets, and enhance the visitor experience. Building on ten years of development, this project marks a strategic shift from experimental growth to a long-term, sustainable plan that will guide Ushaw over the next decade.
“These grants from The National Lottery Heritage Fund and Historic England are a powerful vote of confidence in Ushaw’s journey to date and in our ambitions for the future,” said Lucy Jenkins, Co-CEO at Ushaw. “Unlocking Ushaw builds on our first decade as a heritage visitor attraction, enabling us to care for this extraordinary place while opening it up more fully to communities, with a programme of activities underpinned by values of care, collaboration and social impact. This investment allows us to plan for long-term sustainability, ensuring Ushaw remains a living, relevant heritage site for generations to come.”
The project focuses on three key strands:
- Estate Masterplanning: Unlocking the potential of Ushaw’s 15 listed buildings and 550 acres of gardens, grounds and landscapes through a comprehensive conservation and reuse strategy.
- Community Engagement: Involving residents, stakeholders and visitors in shaping Ushaw’s future, ensuring its heritage is accessible, inclusive and valued by all.
- Audience Development: Understanding and expanding Ushaw’s audience to increase engagement and resilience, with a focus on regional and inbound tourism.
Helen Featherstone, Director, England, North at The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said, “We’re delighted to support the Unlocking Ushaw project to work towards a strong and resilient future for the site and establish it as a major visitor attraction, thanks to money raised by National Lottery players. It is fantastic news that Ushaw are now one step closer to revitalising the site and putting its local communities of at the heart of their plans to shape the future of this fascinating site.”
These interlinked initiatives will culminate in 2029/2030, coinciding with the commemoration of 200 years of Catholic Emancipation, when Ushaw will unveil its long- term vision informed by this extensive masterplanning and community consultation work.
Lianna Francis-Kelly, Historic England’s Partnerships Team Leader, North East Regions, said: “Ushaw has a special place in the history of the Roman Catholic Church in England, and the vast complex includes architectural gems by leading architects of the Gothic Revival.
“We’re delighted to be supporting the Unlocking Ushaw project, which will engage local people in identifying the potential of under-used and at-risk parts of the estate, increasing the site’s value as both a community asset and a unique visitor attraction for the North East.”
St Aloysius & Junior House
In July 2023 Junior House suffered an arson attack, the fire spread to the roof of Grade II* listed St Aloysius Chapel. Significant damage was done to the upper parts of the chapel roof leaving the whole roof structure in an unstable condition and open to the elements. The highly decorative paintwork throughout the chapel was damaged both by fire and exposure to the elements. Funding from Historic England enabled emergency temporary works to prevent further deterioration during 2025 allowing the building to begin to dry out.
We are currently fundraising to reroof St Aloysius with the intentions to make it safe to open to visitors and stabilise the decorative plaster, painted roof tiles, ornate altars and sculpture. Critically this takes a big step towards removing St Aloysius from the Buildings At Risk register. Once reroofed we intend to deliver a programme of conservation and restoration, that can be witnessed by visitors to the site and documented online for our audiences further afield.
This is the first phase of a wider scheme to create a sustainable future for St Aloysius and Junior House, bringing derelict listed buildings back into use.
We have chosen to focus on St Aloysius in the first phase to prevent further deterioration to the most significant GII* section of Junior House. Whilst we have a temporary roof, we need to create a watertight building that is safe to bring people into. In this way we can offer public access to St Aloysius and bring it back to contemporary relevance.
A feasibility study for Junior House has been undertaken and this will feed into the masterplanning elements of Unlocking Ushaw and community consultation work.
Model Farm
Ushaw’s Model Farm complex was built in 1851–52, using locally quarried stone and incorporating innovative, steam-powered farming technology. It is Grade II* listed.
The farm has been out of use for some years, and is currently on the buildings at risk register. A key aim of our Unlocking Ushaw project is bringing more of our estate and buildings back into productive economic use, and identifying sustainable new futures for our two buildings that are on the at risk register – which will include work on Model Farm.
A 2007 Conservation Plan found the main farm buildings to be structurally sound. We have recently invested in repairs to the roof – ensuring the prevention of water ingress, structural deterioration and loss of historic fabric. A feasibility study has also been commissioned, exploring a range of options for bringing the farm back into productive economic use.
Initial discussions with stakeholders have been met with a positive and enthusiastic response, with everyone keen to see a new use for this much-loved building.
Further updates will follow on this page as the Unlocking Ushaw project progresses.
Any questions about Unlocking Ushaw should be directed to: [email protected]
