HHA/Sotheby's Restoration Award
This award was launched in 2008, with generous sponsorship from Sotheby's, to recognise and celebrate the restoration work that is continually being undertaken by members of the HHA throughout the United Kingdom.
Restoration projects, which must cover the dominant features of a room, building or folly, are judged according to the way in which they respect and are in sympathy with the historic quality of the building. Projects must have been completed within the past two years and the property must be owned by a member of the HHA. The restoration projects must also be open to the public for at least 25 days per year or by appointment to groups.
The judging panel includes
- James Stourton - Chairman, Sotheby's UK
- Edward Harley - President, Historic Houses Association
- Dr John Martin Robinson - architectural historian
- Professor David Watkin
The winner of the 2010 HHA/Sotheby's Restoration Award is Wilton House in Wiltshire where the Earl of Pembroke, who inherited the house in 2003, has undertaken a remarkable restoration of many of the ground floor rooms including the famous Cloisters and the re-instatement of a disused family Dining Room.
The aims and principles of the restoration were to restore those parts of the house which were felt to have lost their historic integrity over the years and those areas which had been neglected during previous structural repairs or which were in urgent need of repair. Both traditional and modern methods of restoration have been used and, where possible, local and Estate craftsmen.
Other rooms to have been restored over the past two years have been the Library and North ante Library, the Smoking Rooms, the Gothic Hall and the Eastern and Western Cloister Oriel windows. The North Forecourt has also been softened with a scheme of mown grass, gravel and staddle stones.
Again this year the impressive range of applications prompted the judges to select three commendations: The Conservatory at Ballywalter Park in County Down, Northern Ireland (The Lord and Lady Dunleath), Thorpe Hall in County Durham (mr and Mrs Paul Townley) and The Stables at Penpont in Powys (Mr and Mrs Gavin Hogg).