Wentworth Woodhouse celebrates European award

A restoration project at a historic country house in Rotherham has won a European heritage award.

The Preservation Trust at Wentworth Woodhouse has transformed the Grade II* listed Camellia House which is home to some of the oldest surviving camellia plants in the Western world.

The project had previously won a national accolade in the Georgian Group's 2024 Architectural Awards.

Now the Camellia House has been selected as one of the 30 outstanding winners of the European Heritage Awards Europa Nostra Awards which identify and promote best practice in the conservation and enhancement of cultural heritage.

The Camellia House underwent a £5m restoration funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Historic England and other contributors.

The building had stood as a roofless ruin on the Heritage At Risk register, but has become a public tearoom and heritage venue.

It was the only project in the UK and one of only three winners outside of the EU Creative Europe Programme, which co-funds the awards.

The awards jury, made up of 11 heritage experts from across Europe, said: "The revival of a rare camellia collection and the integration of energy-efficient features demonstrate a balanced approach to horticultural, architectural and environmental heritage."

The winners will be celebrated at the European Heritage Awards Ceremony 2025 on October 13 during the European Cultural Heritage Summit in Brussels.

Wentworth Woodhouse Preservation Trust chief executive Sarah McLeod said: "We are bursting with pride to be heading to Brussels to receive this highly respected European heritage award.

"An exceptional conservation team collaborated to take our Camellia House from a roofless wreck in danger of collapsing, back to its original grace and beauty - and vastly improved its sustainability and green credentials."

Dorian Proudfoot, chief executive of Donald Insall Associates, the architects behind the renovation, said: "It is incredibly rewarding to see our client's vision to create an inclusive, world-class destination being recognised in Europe's most prestigious heritage award."

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