THE CASTLE STUDIES TRUST

Grants of up to £10,000 are available to UK organisations, including local authorities, and individuals for research and other projects that enhance the understanding and knowledge of castles in the UK and abroad.
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o Application deadline: FRIDAY 29th NOVEMBER 2024.
o Funder: The Castle Studies Trust (founded 2012. Charity number 1148165. Total value of all grants awarded during the year ended 5 April 2023: £40,924 (2022: £26,269)).
o Who can apply: not-for-profit organisations, including local authorities in the UK. UK-based individuals may also apply.
o Key words: Heritage, Archaeology, Research, Castles, Overseas, United Kingdom.
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Founded in 2012, the Castle Studies Trust runs an annual grant programme that provides a small number of grants annually up to £10,000 (with no matched funding requirement) for the study and research of castles to enhance both scholarly and public education.

This includes supporting historical and archaeological research, the promotion and dissemination of such research, and the production of other pieces of work such as reconstruction drawings that would help enhance the public understanding of castles and castle sites.

All projects should be specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and anchored within a time frame (for example, projects should start within 10 weeks of confirmation of a grant award). Priority is given to funding new pieces of research and increasing public understanding of lesser-known sites not managed by major heritage bodies.

Grants can be used for:

o Costs associated with carrying out a project such as travelling to and from the site, equipment, labour, services provided by third parties etc.
o Reconstruction drawings and other pieces of work such as reconstruction drawings that would promote public understanding of a castle site.
o Reviews of historical sources (as part of a Castle Studies Trust funded project).
o Scientific testing on objects/materials from a castle site, such as radiocarbon dating, and/or
o Site based survey work (geographical, architectural, topographical etc).

During the year ended 5 April 2023 grants were awarded to the following 5 applicants:

o Bamburgh Castle, Northumberland: £9,310.
o Dunoon Castle, Argyll and Bute, West Scotland: £6,370.
o Lowther Castle, Penrith, Lake District: £9,420.
o Picton Castle, Pembrokeshire, Wales: £8,380, and
o Wigmore Castle, north-west Herefordshire: £1,500.

A number of grant made in 2024 are also listed on the Trust’s website, together with all grants awarded over the last 10 years,

All projects have published their reports and the results can be found on the Castle Studies Trust website.

Further information, guidance and a downloadable application form, which should be submitted by email, is available on the Castle Studies Trust website.

The deadline for applications is normally on the 1st of December annually. However, when the deadline falls on a weekend, the deadline is brought forward to the Friday before. The deadline for 2024 is therefore on Friday 29th December 2024.