Hexham Abbey has secured £138,088 in development funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund for an ambitious project to conserve its medieval treasures and bring their stories to a wider audience.
The support, announced by Hexham Abbey on 22 September 2026, will help develop Old Treasures in New Light — a programme designed to protect the abbey’s internationally significant heritage while changing how visitors encounter it.
The project is now working towards a potential full National Lottery grant of £994,022. Before that next stage can be unlocked, the abbey’s Parochial Church Council, or PCC, must secure £165,000 in partnership funding.
What the Hexham Abbey project will protect
At the centre of the plans is Hexham Abbey’s collection of medieval panel paintings, described by the abbey as the largest collection of its kind in the UK. The project also covers the building’s rare collection of medieval grave covers.
The abbey says these objects are at risk without urgent conservation and improved interpretation. Alongside their artistic value, the paintings and grave covers carry stories about the people, beliefs and communities connected with Hexham Abbey and the wider region over hundreds of years.
The development funding will allow detailed plans to be prepared for extensive conservation work. That work is intended to protect the medieval panels and grave covers from deterioration, including the growing effects of climate change.
New lighting, digital interpretation and a refurbished Slype
A key part of the proposed visitor changes is sensitive new lighting for the medieval panels. The aim is to reveal details that can be difficult to see at present while limiting exposure to light that could cause additional damage.
New digital interpretation is also planned for the crypt, the painted panels and other treasures. Visitors would be able to explore the history behind the objects through new ways of presenting the abbey’s stories.
The project includes refurbishment of the Slype, which the abbey says would create a warmer and more welcoming arrival for visitors while significantly improving energy efficiency.
Together, the conservation and interpretation work is intended to make the collection more accessible to people of all ages and backgrounds, while safeguarding it for future generations.
Abbey appeals for partnership funding
The Reverend Canon David Glover, from Hexham Abbey, said the initial support would allow the organisation to develop plans for conservation, community outreach and sharing the collection with new audiences.
“We are thrilled to have received this initial support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players we can now develop our plans for vital conservation work, community outreach and sharing the Abbey’s unique and amazing treasures with new audiences of all ages and backgrounds.”
Helen Featherstone, Director, England, North at The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said the development phase would help advance plans to conserve the medieval panel paintings and improve the visitor experience at the Grade I listed building.
“We’re delighted to support Hexham Abbey with this initial grant to work towards undertaking urgent conservation of the Abbey’s significant collection of medieval panel paintings, while also transforming the visitor experience at the wonderful Grade I listed building. Thanks to National Lottery players, this development phase will help progress plans to safeguard the Abbey’s important heritage for future generations.”
Hexham Abbey is asking for donations towards the £165,000 in partnership funding required for the next stage. It says every contribution will help protect the building’s heritage, explain the stories behind its treasures and keep them accessible to future generations.
The project is made possible through money raised by National Lottery players. The National Lottery Heritage Fund describes itself as the UK’s largest heritage funder and supports projects that connect people and communities with heritage.