And the Winner Is...

Claire Saul looks at the winners of a prestigious annual award that celebrates grand stately homes, gardens and more

- Claire Saul

Through two organisations alone, the National Trust and English Heritage, we have more than 900 historic places to visit, from grand stately homes and gardens to coastal spots, urban dwellings, monuments and bunkers. Enriching this choice even further are the member sites of the Historic Houses association, hundreds of independently owned houses, castles and gardens which open their doors to visitors for days out or places to stay, tours, school visits, filming and private events. Properties range from well-known stately homes such as Blenheim Palace, Castle Howard, Woburn Abbey and Burghley, to houses such as Traquair and Treowen.

Towards the end of last year, the Historic Houses organisation announced the winners of five prestigious annual awards celebrating excellence in key areas. The first of these was for Garden of the Year, an award designed to recognise the importance of some of the country's most spectacular gardens with outstanding horticultural and public appeal. From a shortlist which also featured notable sites such as Pembrokeshire's Picton Castle and Hever Castle and Gardens in Kent, the general public voted 18th century turreted castle Inveraray Castle & Gardens in Argyll as their 2024 winner. The property, seat of the Clan Campbell and home to the Dukes of Argyll, welcomes around 85,000 guests every year. Its garden spans 16 acres of stunning formal lawns, flowerbeds, parkland, and woodland. The Judge's Choice Award, given to a garden considered to embody excellence on a smaller scale, went to Belcombe Court in Bradford-on-Avon, Wiltshire. Over three decades, the gardens there have been returned to their former glory, with many contemporary additions.