Land at Ancaster Valley Acquisition for management as a nature reserve of 9.7ha of unimproved grassland in Ancaster Valley n 22 July 1981
Landscape by Moonlight, Rubens A major late nocturne landscape by Peter Paul Rubens. 18 November 1981
Hill House, Helensburgh Acquisition and endowment of Hill House, Helensburgh, designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh. 14 October 1981
Islands of Canna and Sanday. Acquisition and endowment of contiguous Islands, SSSIs and part of National Scenic Area of the Small 29 April 1981
HMS Alliance Restoration of HMS Alliance, the last surviving submarine of the Second World War. 20 May 1981
Foster’s Green Meadows Acquisition at auction of SSSI of old pasture meadows for management as nature reserve. 14 October 1981
Enchanted Castle by Claude Lorraine Acquisition of painting, The Enchanted Castle, by Claude Lorraine. 20 May 1981
Cumbrian Hiberno-Norse Crucifix Stone Acquisition of 10th century Hiberno-Norse carving of the crucifixion by unknown artist/craftsmen wor 14 October 1981
Coldhabour Mill, Acquisition Acquisition of woollen mill built in 1797. Bridging loan to complete purchase. 21 December 1981
Coalbrookdale Old Furnace, restoration Conservation of the furnace in which Abraham Darby I undertook the first trials of smelting iron wit 18 March 1981