Britain

Established in 1995, WMF Britain serves as a local representative for WMF, assisting with project management and outreach.

 

In 1990, World Monuments Fund presented His Majesty King Charles III with its annual Hadrian Award in recognition of his efforts in advancing the conservation of world architecture. In his acceptance speech, HRH called attention to the plight of St. George’s Hall in Liverpool, describing it as “one of the finest neoclassical buildings in the world.”

Supported by WMF, which opened its London affiliate office in 1995 with a gift of $1 million and a bequest from the late Paul Mellon to create the Paul Mellon Fund for Architectural Preservation in Great Britain, the restoration of the Small Concert Room at St. George’s became WMF Britain’s first project.

Since 1995, WMF Britain has completed projects at over 50 UK sites and established partnerships with many more on the World Monuments Watch to provide on-site conservation, educational resources, training, and advocacy. In recent years, the UK office has worked more frequently outside of the UK and, thanks to the British Council’s Cultural Protection Fund, has carried out projects in Jordan, Iraq, and Yemen, supporting heritage projects within communities impacted by conflict.

WMF Britain’s 27-year track record illustrates a wide range of successful conservation projects in the UK and further afield, complemented by meaningful engagement with local communities and global supporters. For the future, there is significant potential to expand WMF’s presence in the United Kingdom, and London in particular.

 

WMF Britain Board of Directors

  • Hélène Marie Shafran, Chair
  • Ann Chapman-Daniel
  • Patrick Franco
  • Lorna B. Goodman
  • James Goold
  • Hannah Kaye
  • William J. Loschert
  • Monika A. McLennan
  • Bénédicte de Montlaur, ex-officio
  • Jacqueline Ranawake
  • William Sieghart
  • Julian C. Sharpe
  • Sumayya Vally
  • Anna van Praagh
  • Sonali Wijeyaratne

Executive Director

Communications in the UK

In Focus

Featured Projects

YEM Ta'izz - hero
Active Project

Old City of Ta’izz

Ta'izz, Yemen
Yemen's medieval capital has become a battlefield, galvanizing local efforts to survey the damage and plan for future conservation efforts.

Stowe House

Buckinghamshire, United Kingdom
In 2013 two eighteenth-century lead lions were returned to their original location at the southern entrance to Stowe House, decades after they were sold at an auction in 1921.

Strata Florida

Ystrad Meurig, Wales
The twelfth-century complex constructed on an ancient site remains a powerful source of Welsh cultural identity.
The recently restored Keselo fortifications, originally dating from the thirteenth century, 2017.
Completed Project

Tusheti National Park

Georgia
The Tush community seeks to ensure that regional development in eastern Georgia will promote sustainable tourism and will not disrupt their livelihoods.
Fully restored Moseley Road Baths and Balsall Heath Library façade. Nov 2022

Moseley Road Baths

Birmingham, United Kingdom
Moseley Road Baths, an Edwardian time capsule still in use and serving a diverse urban community, is now at risk of closure due to cutbacks in government spending.
View of the Bennerley Viaduct from the east, 2017.

Bennerley Viaduct

Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, England
Local stewards of a rare survivor of the Industrial Age seek to revive it as a community asset for recreation and access to the natural environment.
Newstead Abbey Partnership initial meeting, June 25, 2014
Completed Project

Newstead Abbey

Ravenshead, Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom
Newstead Abbey is best known today as the ancestral home of Lord Byron (1788–1824). The original Newstead Abbey was founded by Henry II as an Augustinian priory in the twelfth century.
View of Hurst Castle. Photo courtesy of ExploringWithin on YouTube.
Active Project

Hurst Castle

Lymington, United Kingdom
A fortress built by Henry VIII that suffered partial collapse in 2021 illustrates the urgent need to address the impact of climate change on coastal heritage through continued monitoring.