We’re pleased to announce the winners of the UK section of Wiki Loves Monuments. This year the judges have awarded first prize to this photo of Calfaria Baptist Church’s interior by Mark Edwards.
Overall winner
Calfaria chapel by Mark Edwards, Wikimedia Commons, CC-BY-SA 4.0
UK winners
Click the title for access to more details and high resolution copies on Wikimedia Commons.
September has started which can only mean on thing: it is time for Wiki Loves Monuments 2020.
We want you to share your photos of historic sites.
The competition opens on 1 September (today) and closes at 23:59 on 30 September. To take part and be in a chance with winning you need to upload photos of historic sites to Wikimedia Commons. The photos can then be used to illustrate Wikipedia articles about these sites, reaching millions of people every year.
There have been some fantastic images in the past and we are really looking forward to this year’s competition. So please share your photos!
How can I take part?
Interactive map
We have a guide which walks you through each step of the process. In short, you need to have a Wikimedia account and then to upload your photographs of eligible historic sites and share them under an open licence. They can have been taken at any point – whether you go out and take new photos or sift through old albums to find something, they are all useful.
Are there prizes?
The best photograph overall will win £250, with £100 and £50 for second and third respectively. There are up to seven Highly Commended prizes, and prizes for the best images from each of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. The top ten from the UK also go into the judging for the international competition, so get a chance at more prizes.
We also have a special prize for the best photograph of a site in Scotland, courtesy of Archaeology Scotland who are sponsoring it. The winner will receive a free 1-year membership of Archaeology Scotland including the Archaeology Scotland Magazine and access to their learning resources.
Is 2020 different?
In some ways, but if you have taken part in previous years it will feel very familiar. The upload tool is the same, you can use the same log in details, and the competition is still about historic sites.
The main difference is that in the past we’ve had special prizes for best photographs of interiors and shots of buildings in use. We’ve retired these prizes this year since lockdown restrictions make accessing building interiors more challenging and limit the use of some historic sites. You can still submit photographs of interiors, either old or new images. If you’re going to take new images, make sure you and the people around you are safe.
Tips!
We have a tips page to get you started and help you make the most out of your photographs.
You have until the end of 30 September to take part, so take some time to plan your photos, go through old albums, and share your favourites.
When someone mentions mills you might think of picturesque windmills or massive textile mills of the Industrial Revolution. Both are often protected historic sites in the UK, and Wiki Loves Monuments has plenty of impressive photos.
With 1.3 million visitors in 2014, Stonehenge is just about the most famous prehistoric site in the UK. There are some striking monuments which have withstood the elements for thousands of years, and some examples from the previous editions of Wiki Loves Monuments are below.
There are about 3,500 hillforts across the UK from the Iron Age and Late Bronze Age. They can be absolutely huge, as big as 20 hectares and you often need some distance to appreciate them.
The UK is rich with heritage and the Romans left behind their mark on the landscape. Below are some striking pictures from the UK’s first two editions of Wiki Loves Monuments. Will you be adding your photos to the mix this year?
Want to know more about Roman Britain? Wikipedia has a wealth of information about it, including a recreation of a Roman fort by Rotherham Museums and Archives. Get snapping ready for September!
Stockholm Palace. An entry from last year’s Wiki Loves Monuments. Photo by Arild Vågen CC-BY-SA 3.0.
One million images uploaded so far to the world’s largest photo contest – Wiki Loves Monuments.
In this year’s competition so far 150,000 images from 40 different countries have been uploaded. This means that since Wiki Loves Monuments started four years ago more than 1,000,000 photos of cultural heritage have been shared through Wikimedia Commons.
Wiki Loves Monuments is the world’s largest photography contest, and aims to collect images under a free licence for use on Wikimedia sites to document historic sites and monuments. Now in its fourth year, 5,000 people from around the world have taken part this month.
Volunteer Wikimedians organise the contest in each country, with the winning photos from national contests elevated to an international jury in November. The international jury will announce the top ten international photos and the overall best picture winner in December.
“With over one million free images of heritage sites across the world, Wiki Loves Monuments is one of the world’s most important projects dealing with history today”, says Deror Lin, the international coordinator of the competition. “Year after year, volunteers document hundreds of thousands of heritage sites across the world, upload the images to the Internet under a free licence, for the benefit of the current generation and the next generations. These people display the splendor of creativity and culture in their countries”.
The photos will be uploaded to Wikimedia Commons under a free licence, so they can be used by anybody, for any purpose, as long as the photographer is credited. Many of the photos will appear in Wikipedia, the world’s largest encyclopedia, and all will be available to download at no cost.
The UK home of the world's largest photo competition
September has started which can only mean on thing: it is time for Wiki Loves Monuments 2020.
We also have a special prize for the best photograph of a site in Scotland, courtesy of 
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