Wednesday, 14 January 2026
Lumb Bank is looking for heritage detectives!
Heritage Detectives
Would you like to engage with the heritage of Lumb Bank and help us investigate and share its history? We are looking for four Heritage Detectives to explore an aspect of Lumb's heritage and work with a group to uncover something interesting to share with our local community.
We are offering four micro-commissions for projects that explore an aspect of Lumb Bank's heritage and culminate in a small-scale public sharing.
About Lumb Bank
Nestling in Colden Clough below Heptonstall is Lumb Bank, an atmospheric and historic estate made up of a house, barn, cottage and outbuildings.
Previously a farm, a millowner's house, a fur and pony ranch, a mink farm, a tearoom and the former home of Ted Hughes, Lumb Bank is now a creative writing retreat space, but it has had such a rich and storied life. It has seen the landscape and people transition from farming and self-sufficiency, through mechanisation, into a post-industrial landscape and now as a home for creative writing. We are looking for creative responses to an aspect of Lumb's heritage.
The Opportunity
Arvon North is inviting artists/ facilitators/ historians to submit a short project proposal to engage a group of people (perhaps you already work with them or would like to, or we could match you up with a group) with a particular strand of Lumb Bank's heritage and history:
- It could be environmental
- It could be literary
- It could be landscape
- It could be geological
- It could be social history
- It could be something else altogether!
Whatever you choose, it would need to culminate in a small scale public sharing of some kind (it might be a mini exhibition, a walk, a workshop, a performance) We are looking to support four Heritage Detectives micro commissions to take place by the end of July 2026.
The budget for each of the micro commission is £1000.
Deadline for submissions – 28 February 2026 - submit by email to helen.meller@arvon.org
Project Outline
Please describe your 'Heritage Detective' idea in 500 words or less.
Engagement
Please outline which group you would like to work with and why (and if you already have a prior connection to the group) 500 words or less
Budget
The budget is £1000 – please provide an overview of costs:
Project Timeline:
- Project Start Date:
- Please outline the anticipated timeline for the sharing:
Due diligence:
Additional Information: Please provide the following details to accompany your proposal:
If working with young people or vulnerable adults: Do you have a current DBS check?
Insurance / Liability: do you have (or are willing to get) public liability insurance to cover the activities you are planning?
Risk Assessments / Duty of Care: Projects will be responsible for creating their own risk assessments. We can provide templates if needed.
Evaluation and Reporting:
Selected projects will be required to provide updates on their progress and activities. Furthermore, project leads will be expected to collect relevant project information and evaluation data.
For further information email helen.meller@arvon.org
This project is funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund
All the information, including the application form, can be found on our website.