Arvon awarded grant by The National Lottery Heritage Fund

Today, Arvon is announcing a £188,990 grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to protect and share the rich literary and social heritage of Lumb Bank – once home to poet Ted Hughes – and dramatically increase public engagement. 

Lumb Bank, an iconic house nestled in the steep woodland of the Calder Valley in West Yorkshire, has long been at the centre of creativity and inspiration. From its early roots as a millowner’s residence to the home of Ted Hughes and now a celebrated creative writing house, Lumb Bank is steeped in deep cultural and historical significance. Without this funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, the stories and physical heritage of this remarkable place would remain at risk of being lost or overlooked. 

Today, Lumb Bank is home to Arvon’s creative writing courses and retreats: it has welcomed over 75,000 writers through its doors since 1975. With support from the Heritage Fund, Arvon will futureproof Lumb Bank through conservation, environmental sustainability, and the creation of a Heritage Strategy. The project will celebrate the unique history of the building and surrounding landscape, once described by Ted Hughes as “heavy with the dream of a people”, and test new ways of sharing it with more people than ever before. 

The grant will allow Arvon to: 

• Help protect the environment with an air source heat pump and solar panels to reduce Lumb Bank’s carbon footprint by more than 80% 

• Preserve a nationally significant collection of buildings and archive, including handwritten Ted Hughes poems, an extensive poetry library and over 25 acres of historically rich landscape 

• Increase access and participation through an ambitious programme of community-focused exhibitions, creative walks, open days, and participatory events that will welcome new and diverse audiences 

The programme also includes a commissioned artist’s model of Lumb Bank, an Arvon North writer-in-residence programme and Heritage Detectives – an evolving project inviting people to research an aspect of Lumb’s heritage that resonates with them. Community groups and local schools will be involved in exploring Lumb Bank’s heritage, helping to uncover untold stories and strengthen connections between people, place, and the power of storytelling. 

Arvon will be running creative writing events throughout the project. 

Helen Meller, Co-Director of Lumb Bank and Arvon at Home, said: “We are delighted to be given the opportunity to explore the multi-layered heritage of Lumb Bank with our local community. Responding to the site in myriad ways, we hope to peel back its storied layers and share them with generations to come.” 

Helen Featherstone, Director, England, North at The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: “Lumb Bank is steeped in literary heritage with its connection to Ted Hughes. We are delighted that thanks to National Lottery players, we can support Arvon to build on this for future generations, by safeguarding their important archive and paving the way for the next generation of creative writers through their exciting programme of activities.”