Heritage Trust for the North is a registered Building Preservation Trust and was established in 1978 as a charity and company limited by guarantee. Under its former name, Lancashire Heritage Trust, it has rescued and restored many buildings of architectural interest at risk in Lancashire. In 1996 the Trust merged with the former North West Buildings Preservation Trust (a Trust with similar aims) and enlarged its remit, as required by the Charity Commission, to cover the North West of England. To reflect this, the Trust is now developing projects in Manchester, Liverpool and Cumbria.

The Trust seeks to find new appropriate uses for historic buildings and encourages good design and craftsmanship. It has retained some of the buildings it has restored deriving rental income from them. Others are open to the public forming a network of historic places to visit.