Country Houses Foundation

Country Houses Foundation Grants

Grants from £1,000 to £250,000 for the repair and conservation of rural historic buildings and structures in England and Wales, including their gardens, grounds and outbuildings, and for restoring works of art (paintings or sculpture) in historic house collections open to the public. Open to owners - charities, institutions, local authorities and private individuals - with legal responsibility for the building, and aimed at projects that do not qualify for mainstream heritage funding or have only part of what they need. Most grants are under £50,000; awards near the maximum are made only in exceptional circumstances.

Apply on the funder’s site

You could get: £1,000 – £250,000; no fixed round
Deadline: Rolling; apply any time
Effort: Heavy; budgets, references, often several stages

Who can apply

Organisations and private individuals (the Foundation names charities, institutions, local authorities and individuals) who own a historic building or structure and demonstrate a sustainable, long-term commitment to its care, management and public access
The applicant must have legal responsibility for the repair of the building and its immediate surroundings: normally they own it or hold a full repairing lease with at least 20 years to run, or can show a legally binding agreement to acquire it
The building must be in England or Wales and rural (including rural buildings since overtaken by urban or suburban development), and normally listed, scheduled or, for a garden, on the Register of Parks and Gardens; unlisted buildings in a conservation area may be considered
Match funding is not required, but applicants are expected to contribute from their own resources, to have considered (and where appropriate applied to) other funders, and to show how future repair and maintenance will be funded

What it funds

Repair and conservation of rural historic buildings and structures in England and Wales, including their gardens, grounds and outbuildings
Restoration and conservation of works of art (paintings or sculpture) in historic house collections open to the public, including repair, restoration and special conditions for public access
Kick-starting a project, where further funding is expected to be in place within 1 to 2 years
Emergency funding (the Foundation says it can respond quickly)

Work must meet all of these criteria: a compelling need for the work, usually within 2 to 3 years; it will enhance the historic environment; there will be appropriate public access; there is a financial need for the grant; it can proceed within a reasonable time frame (usually 1 to 2 years); it is sustainable with a suitable conservation and/or business plan; the building or structure is listed (or, occasionally, unlisted in a conservation area); and it is rural, either in the countryside or overtaken by urban or suburban development.

Work must be undertaken by qualified professionals and completed within a reasonable time period.

What it will not fund

Buildings and structures recently purchased where the cost of the works should have been recognised in the purchase price
Work which does not principally involve the repair or conservation of a historic building or structure
Churches and chapels unless now or previously linked to a country house or estate
Alterations and improvements, and repairs to non-historic fabric or services
Routine maintenance and minor repairs
General running costs
Demolition unless agreed as part of a repair and conservation programme
Rent, loan or mortgage payments
Conservation of furniture, fittings and equipment, unless they are themselves of historic or architectural significance, have a historic relationship with the site, are relevant to the project, and can be secured long term from sale or disposal
Work carried out before a grant offer has been made in writing and accepted

How to apply

Read both the Pre-Application Form and the Full Application Form to see what information you will need
Complete the Pre-Application Form (Word or PDF) and send it to info@countryhousesfoundation.org or by post, with two or three photographs of the property's current condition; the Foundation normally responds within 28 days
If the pre-application is successful, the Foundation arranges a site visit, normally by 3 or 4 trustees and lasting 1 to 2 hours, and then tells you whether you are invited to submit a full application
Seek advice from your local authority or an appropriate conservation organisation or heritage agency to plan the project
Submit the Full Application Form as a signed hard copy, quoting the unique reference number you are given, with the supporting documents (reports and photographs can be sent digitally)
The application is considered at the next quarterly trustee meeting (February, May, August or November)

Works of art applications skip the pre-application and site visit stages and go straight in on the separate works of art application form.

The Foundation is not accepting online pre-applications at present; use the Word or PDF forms.

Have ready

Signed Full Application Form (hard copy with original signature)
Professional advisor's or specialist contractor's report on the work
Colour photographs showing the extent and urgency of the project
For a company: Certificate of Incorporation and Memorandum and Articles of Association
For any other organisation: constitution and/or rules
For an organisation: most recent accounts
Listing register extract (if listed) and Buildings at Risk register extract (if on the register)
Copies of any reports or written advice from heritage organisations or advisors
Draft project plan and timetable, including the anticipated start date
Any letters, articles or other material in support

Do not send original documents (other than the signed form), anything three dimensional or valuable; incomplete applications cannot be assessed.

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