The National Lottery Heritage Fund has announced a significant commitment of £9.7 million towards the conservation and development of The Royal Observatory Greenwich, a site of immense historical and scientific importance.
The funding is earmarked for the ‘First Light’ project, a major undertaking that will ensure the preservation of the Observatory’s existing listed buildings while simultaneously facilitating the creation of several new, modern spaces designed for public engagement and interactive learning.
The First Light project is set to enhance the visitor experience by introducing several innovative facilities. Among these is the Astonomers Court, a planned covered courtyard that will be utilized for hosting live experiments and providing visitors with the opportunity for hands-on object handling.
A further key development is the construction of a new roof terrace. This area will be specifically engineered to host live streams captured through the Observatory’s more modern telescopes, bridging the gap between historical astronomy and contemporary scientific discovery.
The entire project by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, which aims to secure the future of the iconic London landmark, is predicted to reach completion by early 2028.
Paddy Rodgers, Director of Royal Museums Greenwich, commented on the transformative nature of the funding. He noted that the latest investment “will assure its continuance for years to come as a place of awe and wonder that continues to further the public understanding of astronomy.”
This sentiment reflects the Observatory’s 350-year-old mission, which dates back to its establishment by King Charles II, who directed the first director to “apply himself with the most exact care and diligence to the rectifying of the tables of the motions of the heavens, and the places of the fixed stars, so as to find out the so much desired longitude of places for the perfecting of the art of navigation.”
