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Our awards

Glorious gardens, priceless collections, outstanding restoration projects, and efforts to promote education or environmental sustainability - we celebrate the amazing things our member places do

Radbourne Hall

The owners and custodians of independently owned historic houses, castles, and gardens do amazing things – things that mean our places really matter.

To celebrate their myriad achievements we run a series of annual awards that highlight the best. We hope they inspire you to explore the rest.

Check out the video below on our 2023 award winners.

Our 2023 awards

The Garden of the Year Awards

supported by Christie's

The public vote on our main award, choosing their favourite from a shortlist of eight much-loved places that are free for our members to visit.

Our panel of experts also choose a Judges’ Choice each year, allowing us to reward a smaller or less open garden that is just as worthy of praise.

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Suit of armour at Burghley

The Collections Award

sponsored by Dreweatts

This new award, for the collection that has best recognised new challenges, responded to them innovatively, and reimagined how the public experience it, enables our panel of distinguished judges to highlight the work of curators and conservators in our member places.

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Dunvegan Castle scaffolding during restoration

The Restoration Award

sponsored by Sotheby's

From repairing rafters to reinstating reception rooms, this prize goes to the rebuilding or renovation project that our judges consider the best example of bringing historic homes back to life, or keeping them alive.

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School visit to Beaulieu National Car Museum Picture by Samantha Cook Photography

The Frances Garnham Award for Education

Named for Historic Houses’ former Director of Policy & Public Affairs, who died in 2015 and who was passionate about the educational importance of our member houses and gardens, this prize, awarded by our Learning Advisory Panel, gives top marks to the place that most successfully innovates in educational work and its audiences.

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Browsholme Hall Sustainability Award 2021

The Sustainability Award

sponsored by Savills

Historic houses are at the forefront of efforts to protect our natural habitats and reduce humanity’s damaging impact on the global environment. From carbon-neutral heating systems to rewilding, planning for lifetimes is second-nature to the custodians of lived-in heritage.

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