North Lowestoft Heritage Quarter Heritage Action Zone

This part of Lowestoft was originally the main medieval settlement, grown around a thriving fishing industry, including merchants' houses and commercial premises on the cliff top, and workers cottages and net stores below. The Heritage Action Zone will run until the end of March 2023.

How can I get involved with the Heritage Action Zone?

If you own a property in the Heritage Action Zone you can find out more about the renovation grants currently on offer.

If you live, work or visit the area and would like share your photographs and memories of the area, please Tweet us using the hashtag #ScoresHAZ.

If you have information or photographs about any of the listed buildings in the area, you can help the Heritage Action Zone team by adding that information to the List entry. 

As the research and other work gets underway we will have a programme of events and training sharing what we've found out about north Lowestoft.

Follow @lowestofthaz and @HistoricEngland to find out what's on.

What is happening and who is involved?

The decline of the fishing industry and, in more recent years, changes in how people shop has left the historic High Street with fewer people and a lack of purpose. It has a high number of vacant properties, historic buildings in need of repair, and a lack of investment in its public areas.

The Heritage Action Zone will provide money, advice and time to help bring buildings back into use as housing or for commercial uses.  By investing in unloved historic buildings it will make the area more attractive for people who live there, work, or visit.

The Heritage Action Zone in north Lowestoft aims to:

• Research and communicate why the area is so important to the history of Lowestoft
• Bring vacant and 'at risk' historic buildings back into use
• Deliver new housing in the area
• Work with private sector landlords to fund the repair and reintroduction of historic features in buildings on the High Street
• Improve pedestrian access to the High Street
• Provide quality parks and spaces for the local community and visitors with cultural events to enjoy
• Support local businesses, including re-introducing a regular market

The project is a partnership between:-

• East Suffolk Council
• Historic England
• Lowestoft Town Council
• Lowestoft Vision (the Business Improvement District and part of the Suffolk Chamber of Commerce)
• East Suffolk Building Preservation Trust

Where can I find out more about Lowestoft’s heritage online?

• Find out more about Lowestoft's listed buildings by searching the List.
• You can search Historic England's archive for photographs of Lowestoft.
• Historic aerial photographs of Lowestoft can be found on Britain from Above.

You can also see our research into the area:

• The shopfronts of Lowestoft High Street
• Former Chemist's shop 59-59a High Street Lowestoft
• Historic Area Assessment of 311 – 333 Whapload Road Lowestoft.
• Landscape Assessment of North Lowestoft Heritage Action Zone
• Report into the revitalisation of Lowestoft Town Hall. As part of the Lowestoft Heritage Action Zone, launched by Historic England in partnership with East Suffolk Council and Lowestoft Town Council, Historic England commissioned Colliers International to assess options for the use of Lowestoft Town Hall and the vacant land behind it, which is owned by East Suffolk Council. The proposed restoration of the Grade II listed Town Hall aims to challenge the perception of the Old Town of North Lowestoft.

Where can I share information about Lowestoft’s heritage?

We are looking to record some of the local memorials and statues across England.

Find out more and nominate places in Lowestoft

We also are marking the centenary of the first British women to get the vote.

Find out more

If you know someone in Lowestoft who has a hidden suffrage story, we would love to hear from you.

You can send us your suffrage stories by email [email protected] or by tweeting #HerStories and #ScoresHAZ.