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Nottingham Cathedral is delighted to announce that it has received a £1.69 million grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to bring Pugin's vision back to life. This £2.3 million Restoring Pugin Project that will return the Cathedral’s stunning east end to its original 19th-century design and open up its heritage to over 20,000 people across the city.

 This major investment marks a significant milestone in the life of the Cathedral as we celebrate 175 years since its elevation to Cathedral status in 1850.

Rediscovering Pugin’s Masterpiece

Designed by the renowned architect Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin, Nottingham Cathedral (The Cathedral Church of Saint Barnabas) is one of the finest examples of Victorian Gothic Revival architecture in the country. Pugin’s influence—felt most famously in his work on the Houses of Parliament—helped shape a national appreciation of the beauty, meaning, and craftsmanship of the Christian Middle Ages.

Over time, much of the intricate decoration in the Cathedral’s east end chapels was lost beneath layers of grey paint. Now, thanks to detailed investigations by expert conservators Cliveden Conservation, elements of Pugin’s original scheme have been rediscovered - including starry ceilings, floral motifs, emblems, textual decorations, and foliage.

These rare and important findings will now be painstakingly restored using traditional techniques, authentic pigments, and even gold leaf, bringing the vibrant colours and sacred symbolism of Pugin’s vision back to life.

A Place of Welcome and Wonder

More than just a conservation project, Restoring Pugin is about people.

Over the next two years, the Cathedral will launch a range of creative activities, educational resources, and community events to engage people of all ages and backgrounds with the story of the building. These will include:

• New interpretation panels, touchscreens, and audio-visual content
• An immersive virtual reality experience
• School visits and hands-on learning
• Heritage-focused volunteering and training opportunities
• A newly developed video game, Pugin’s Revival, co-designed by local students—including young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)

This innovative video game was created by the Department of Digital Architecture at Nottingham Trent University, in partnership with the Cathedral, to inspire school pupils to explore careers in heritage and architecture. Its continued rollout is a key part of the engagement work supported by the Heritage Fund.

A Place of Faith, Beauty, and Hope

Speaking about the grant, Bishop Patrick McKinney expressed his gratitude and hope for the future:

“Thanks to National Lottery players, I am delighted that we are going to be able to restore Pugin’s beautiful original design work to the Cathedral’s chapels over the coming years.

This grant will also enable Nottingham’s Cathedral to become ever more engaged with the wider population of the city, especially those most in need, aligning with my vision that churches across the Catholic Diocese of Nottingham become ever more outward-facing and locally engaged.

In restoring Nottingham Cathedral to its former glory, it is my ardent desire to attract more and more people of all ages and backgrounds—especially local people—to experience the Cathedral as a place of beauty, living faith, and peace in the midst of the city, and a sign of hope in these difficult times.”

The project also received praise from heritage experts. Sophie Andreae, Vice Chair of the Patrimony Committee of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, commented:

“This is the first major National Lottery Heritage Fund award for a Catholic Cathedral in recent years. The conservation programme to restore Pugin’s original decorative scheme will be transformational.”

Liz Bates, Director for England, Midlands & East at The National Lottery Heritage Fund, added:

“This project sums up how investing in heritage can bring widespread benefits: important conservation skills will be developed, and new opportunities will welcome thousands into the Cathedral, helping ensure that this important heritage has a secure future.”

Discover More

• View our photo gallery of the project
• Learn more about the Restoring Pugin Project
• Explore the history of Nottingham Cathedral
• Discover the story of the Diocese of Nottingham

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