Anglesey (Ynys Môn in the Welsh language) has been chosen by The National Lottery Heritage Fund as one of six new places to benefit from a multi-million-pound UK-wide investment aimed at unlocking the potential of the heritage on their doorstep.

The National Lottery Heritage Fund’s ‘Heritage Places’ initiative will connect people to heritage in the places they live, work and visit Anglesey will join nine others announced in 2023, as part of the Heritage Fund’s plan to invest £200m in up to 20 areas across the UK.

The National Lottery Heritage Fund, today (Wednesday 15 October 2025) announces Anglesey will be one of six new areas joining its ambitious Heritage Places initiative, designed to enable communities to transform heritage in towns, cities and green spaces across the UK.

Anglesey is a captivating Welsh island where dramatic coastlines, rich heritage and natural beauty collide. From the elegant gardens of Plas Newydd to the picturesque sands at Cemaes Bay, it’s a haven for heritage explorers.

Discover historic towns like Beaumaris, with its medieval castle or cross the iconic Menai Suspension Bridge into a community where Welsh culture and the language thrives - over half of its 70,000 residents speak Welsh (Cymraeg in the Welsh language) as their first language.

The island blends rural tranquillity with vibrant community life. Holyhead is a busy port, while Llangefni serves as the administrative centre. Explore the surreal, colourful landscape of Parys Mountain, in Amlwch, once the world’s largest copper mine or climb Tŵr Marcwis, in Llanfairpwll, for sweeping views of the Menai Strait and bridges which link it to the mainland.

Tourism, public services, agriculture, and a vibrant food scene, featuring local produce, currently shape the economy. Whether you're after serene beaches, stunning landscapes and geology, cultural depth or scenic trails, Anglesey offers a unique experience - steeped in history and alive with Welsh spirit.

These six areas join nine others announced in 2023, as part of The National Lottery Heritage Fund’s plan to invest £200m in up to 20 areas across the UK. The aim is to unlock the potential of local heritage to connect communities, revitalise local economies and enable places to thrive.

The National Lottery Heritage Fund is the largest funder of heritage in the UK and since 1994 has awarded over £8.9billion to more than 48,000 projects, all made possible thanks to National Lottery players.

Heritage Places aims to play a vital role in supporting communities in the long term to revitalise the heritage they care about and to explore untapped possibilities, contributing to local identity, increasing heritage skills and boosting pride in places.

Eilish McGuinness, Chief Executive of The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said “Our six new Heritage Places each hold incredible potential - from Tameside’s rich industrial past to the Standing Stones of Stenness on Orkney and the vibrant coastal heritage of Ynys Môn. Each place is bursting with diverse heritage treasures to be explored.

“We are proud to champion and invest in these places, helping communities and partners to shape bold new visions for the heritage on their doorstep. Thanks to National Lottery players, we can make sure heritage is valued, cared for, and sustained for everyone - now and for generations to come.

“For over 30 years, we’ve invested in heritage to create better places to live, work and visit, increasing the positive contribution heritage makes to life in the UK. Heritage Places builds on that legacy, offering long-term support and driving even greater impact.”

Through Heritage Places to date, over £4 million has been invested in existing locations across the UK including, for example, Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon in Northern Ireland – where the borough council has created a new 10-year heritage strategy engaging and consulting with local communities. In Stoke-On-Trent, the city council have developed a heritage prospectus of capital projects and is working with the University of Staffordshire on heritage skills development.

Andrew White, Director of The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said “Ynys Môn is a place where heritage lives in the landscape, the language and the everyday lives of its people. Our investment here is about recognising that richness and working alongside communities to ensure it continues to thrive – now and into the future. Thanks to National Lottery players, we’re supporting Ynys Môn for the long term – helping local people shape a vision that celebrates the past while unlocking opportunities for regeneration, skills and wellbeing.”

Isle of Anglesey County Council Leader, Councillor Gary Pritchard, said “This is an exciting announcement and opportunity for Ynys Môn. We’re proud that the island has received national recognition and grateful to the Heritage Fund for its funding commitment.

“Our aim now is to expand the island’s rich heritage offer, ensuring that it can make a significant contribution to local communities and the socio-economic future of the island. We are eager to work with partners, local stakeholders, community and interest groups to achieve this.

“I’d also like to thank staff at the council’s Economic Development Unit for preparing this successful proposal. Their continued guidance and insight will provide invaluable as we strive to make the most of this important funding.”

Martin Schwaller, Trustee/Director GeoMôn, Anglesey UNESCO Global Geopark, said "Anglesey’s diverse rocks, shaped by a billion years of tectonic activity, make its landscape extraordinary. As a UNESCO Global Geopark, its geodiversity supports rich biodiversity and has influenced local culture and language.”

“The historic port of Amlwch, once a copper mining hub, now hosts GeoMôn’s exhibition centre, attracting over 4,000 summer visitors. This site holds great potential for revitalisation; funding would benefit both locals and the island and make it a jewel in the crown of Wales.”

The other five new Heritage Places are Barking and Dagenham, Belfast Historic Waterfront, Dudley, Orkney Islands and Tameside.

This initiative is part of #Heritage 2033, The National Lottery Heritage Fund’s 10-year strategy, which includes other initiatives helping places to thrive including Landscapes Connected and Nature Towns and Cities. Together, these programmes aim to tackle the challenges facing heritage and maximise its contribution to people and places across the UK.

End 15 October 2025

Notes to editors

The methodology report can be found on the Heritage Fund website.

For further information and images of this heritage place please contact:

Laura George
Marketing and Communications Manager
Laura.george@heritagefund.org.uk
07751 708 267

Ynys Môn – Isle of Anglesey: Captivating coastlines

Ynys Môn (Isle of Anglesey) is a captivating Welsh island where dramatic coastlines, rich heritage and natural beauty collide. From the elegant gardens of Plas Newydd to the picturesque sands at Cemaes Bay, it is a haven for heritage explorers.

Discover historic towns like Beaumaris, with its medieval castle or cross the iconic Menai Suspension Bridge into a community where Welsh culture and the language thrives - over half of its 70,000 residents speak Welsh (Cymraeg) as their first language.

The island blends rural tranquillity with vibrant community life. Holyhead is a busy port, while Llangefni serves as the administrative centre. Explore the surreal, colourful landscape of Parys Mountain, in Amlwch, once the world’s largest copper mine or climb Tŵr Marcwis, in Llanfairpwll, for sweeping views of the Menai Strait and bridges which link it to the mainland.

Tourism, public services, agriculture, and a vibrant food scene, featuring local produce, currently shape the economy. Whether you are after serene beaches, stunning landscapes and geology, cultural depth or scenic trails, Ynys Môn offers a unique experience - steeped in history and alive with Welsh spirit.

The six new heritage places are:

• Barking and Dagenham - one of London’s fastest-evolving boroughs - young, diverse, and rich in history, from its industrial roots to its links with Guy Fawkes’ hatching of the Gunpowder Plot.
• Belfast Historic Waterfront One of Belfast’s most significant assets is the River Lagan and its story. This is where Belfast began and where the City’s future is being reshaped. Belfast has been a working port for over 300 years, once home to the world’s largest shipyard, and today welcoming millions of visitors annually.
• Dudley, in the heart of the Black Country, blends rich industrial heritage with breath-taking nature reserves, geological wonders, and a famously friendly community.
• Orkney Islands, an archipelago of over 70 islands, boasts a cultural legacy spanning 8,000 years, from Mesolithic settlements to Viking strongholds and a vibrant, creative community spirit.
• Tameside offers nine districts, from the Portland Basin Museum, located at the knotting of three canals, to Park Bridge, the birthplace of the industrial revolution in Tameside, to Werneth Low, one of the highest points in the area, and archaeological finds dating back to the iron age.
• Ynys Môn (Isle of Anglesey) is a captivating Welsh island where dramatic coastlines, rich heritage and natural beauty collide. From the elegant gardens of Plas Newydd to the picturesque sands at Cemaes Bay, it is a haven for heritage explorers.

About The National Lottery Heritage Fund

Our vision is for heritage to be valued, cared for and sustained for everyone, now and in the future. That’s why as the largest funder for the UK’s heritage we are dedicated to supporting projects that connect people and communities to heritage, as set out in our strategic plan, Heritage 2033. Heritage can be anything from the past that people value and want to pass on to future generations. We believe in the power of heritage to ignite the imagination, offer joy and inspiration, and to build pride in place and connection to the past.

Over the next 10 years, we aim to invest £3.6billion raised for good causes by National Lottery players to make a decisive difference for people, places and communities.

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