Our funding has helped secure the building, which will be used for accommodation and events. It sits at the heart of the world-renowned South Lanarkshire garden designed by poet and artist Ian Hamilton Finlay.
The Temple of Apollo is the most distinctive building in the garden, which also features more than 270 artworks. Originally a traditional two-storey stone building, in 1984 Finlay transformed it into a gallery and dedicated it to Apollo.
Our £162,000 grant, alongside support from Art Fund and others, is supporting the Little Sparta Trust to take ownership of the temple building. It will be converted for use as accommodation for artists in residence and to host talks, screenings, readings and exhibitions.
The Trust acquired the garden in 2005. Securing the Temple means the entire site is now saved for the people of the UK. There are longer-term plans to restore the garden and open it to wider audiences.
Magnus Linklater, Chair of the Little Sparta Trust Board said: “Our future programme will support artists and other creative practitioners, foster learning and discovery for all ages, provide training in traditional skills such as stone-carving and calligraphy and enable research and international study. Improved access measures, digital resources and virtual events will ensure that everyone, including those unable to visit in person, can enjoy the site.”
Little Sparta combines art and poetry with its landscape and is recognised as a major artistic achievement. In 2025 it was listed by the New York Times as one of the 25 most important gardens in the world.
Dr Simon Thurley CBE, Chair of the National Heritage Memorial Fund said: “Little Sparta is a place of imagination and international significance. Bringing this important building into the care of the Trust will safeguard a vital part of Ian Hamilton Finlay’s legacy, improve access for visitors, artists and communities, and ensure this extraordinary garden continues to inspire, educate and be enjoyed by the public for generations to come."