The Naseby Battlefield Project wins major grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund

It has been awarded for for its “Our Naseby, Our Heritage” programme.

Thanks to money raised by National Lottery players, the “Our Naseby, Our Heritage" programme will demonstrate the legacy, learnings and impacts of this pivotal event in British history.

It will provide an opportunity for young people and veterans to determine how the Battle of Naseby has impacted their lives.

This funding will allow Naseby 1645 to create educational programmes, enhance the visitor experience and give the site the recognition it deserves as a true landmark of British history. A veterans’ programme will be created, including archival research and interpretive writing training sessions. Tours and discussion groups will inform a co-curated digital exhibition.

The project also aims to recruit new volunteers and “Friends” to the Naseby Battlefield Project, as well as hiring staff to run learning events and tours of the Naseby battlefield for schools, youth groups and veterans.

A new programme of learning and engagement will be developed and aimed at schools, youth groups and veterans. Alongside in-person workshops with Scouts and Cadets groups, online educational resources and a social media campaign will ensure the project’s impact can reach audiences from further afield.

The Battle of Naseby was the decisive battle of the Civil Wars and the first in which the Royal army, led by the King was decisively defeated. Its consequences eventually transformed the role of Parliament from being an infrequent event called largely just to raise the King's money, to a permanent governing institution at the heart of the British government.

Naseby also did much to end the monopoly of the Church of England over religious worship, helping the country evolve into a multi-faith society with the religious freedoms which are enjoyed in Britain and America today. The American Revolutionaries of 1776 looked to the parliamentarians of the British Civil Wars for their inspiration.

Naseby 1645 Chair Mark Linnell commented: “We are thrilled to have been awarded this grant of £99,850 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, thanks to National Lottery players. It will enable us to transform the awareness and appreciation of just what went on here on 14 June 1645 – and the effect it had on this country. The battle not only changed the course of the war, but it led to the Parliamentary Democracy we have today and was the foundation of the British Army.”

He added: “The grant will play a major role in helping to preserve the battlefield and carry out further conservation work where needed, as we look to welcome more visitors to the site and our team of volunteers and staff grows.”

For more information about The Naseby Battlefield Project, visit: https://naseby.com/ or follow us on Facebook.