Heritage awards for Wentworth Woodhouse

The unsung heroes caring daily for the Grade I-listed country house won a Best Loved award from The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings, while the 82-acre gardens have been named Historic Houses' Garden of the Year 2022.

Sarah McLeod, chief executive of the mansion’s preservation trust, said: “We are overwhelmed to have won two important and highly-contested awards. “Restoring and regenerating Wentworth Woodhouse is a colossal task, but we are making huge strides thanks to the dedication of our truly brilliant staff, volunteers and trustees.

“They are the true winners of these awards.

“We are so grateful for the votes we received.

“They are proof the public is clearly with us on our journey and that makes us feel very proud indeed.”

Mary Kerrigan, Best Loved Awards judge, said: “Exceptional thought by the maintenance team has gone into the design of a range of interventions which should save countless hours and effort as they carry out the annual inspections and follow-up maintenance a building of this size will demand.  “Their work exemplifies one of the SPAB’s core messages — maintenance, maintenance and more maintenance.”

Meanwhile, the judges for the Historic Houses 2022 Garden of the Year crown described stately home’s gardens as “multi-tasking, all-embracing spaces beloved by the public” and “a haven, a natural playground, the scene of cultural events, and places of learning for people of all abilities”.