The Crooked House in Suffolk has won the 2026 Historic Houses Diversification Award

Sponsored by Savills, the Historic Houses Diversification Award celebrates innovation and enterprise at Historic Houses member places.

This year’s winner, the 600-year-old Crooked House, found in the medieval village of Lavenham, Suffolk, is not only a one-bedroom cottage – it’s also wonky. Said to be the inspiration for the old English nursery rhyme ‘There was a Crooked Man’, it is now home to two self-styled ‘Crooked Men’: husbands Alex and Oli Khalil-Martin.

Through immersive theatrical house tours and black-tie dinners, Alex and Oli bring the history of the house to life, focusing on small, exclusive experiences. Tours feature costumes, candlelight and time travel, while dinners mark occasions throughout the year, from ghost stories at Halloween to 600 years of Christmas traditions.

This innovative approach is proving popular: tours and dinners regularly sell out, with guests travelling from around the world, and income from the business is helping to fund the ongoing restoration of the house.

Alongside their visitor experiences, Alex and Oli have made The Crooked House a focal point for the local community, supporting village events and even hosting an annual lantern-lit parade around Lavenham. Online, they have built a community of more than 75,000 followers, sharing the history of their home with younger audiences in particular. Alex and Oli have also collaborated with organisations in London and around the UK, and their Crooked House merchandise sells worldwide.

Oli Khalil-Martin, co-owner of The Crooked House, said: “We’re thrilled to have won this award, recognising our work here at The Crooked House. We love finding new and exciting ways to share the story of our ancient home, to encourage everyone to explore Britain’s history and heritage.”

The Diversification Award, now in its second year, is dedicated to celebrating the innovative and entrepreneurial spirit of Historic Houses member places who seek to add value to their existing core business through new commercial opportunities.

The Crooked House stood out from an impressive shortlist including Kentchurch Court Estate in Herefordshire, Pitchford Hall in Shropshire and Larchfield Estate in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, which was highly commended by the judges for its self-storage business, run from converted sheds on the estate.

Rupert Clark, Director & Head of Management at Savills, said: “What Alex and Oli have done is extraordinary and a brilliant example of what can be achieved through creative thinking. They’ve built an immersive tour and black-tie dinner business from scratch in a one-bedroom house and made it self-sustaining. It’s innovative and entrepreneurial, and they are doing all of this to keep this important building in excellent condition. This can certainly be used as inspiration by other historic houses.”

Watch the Diversification Award winner’s video below.