Winner of Graham Allen Award 2004

Heritage Award Honours North Norfolk Restoration

27 August, 2004

Three derelict 18th Century cottages at Bacton have been brought back to life as rented homes for local people - and have now won recognition for the quality of the restoration work with the 2004 Graham Allen Award for conservation and design.

Alicia Cottages on Walcott Road have stood empty since 1968, and had deteriorated so badly that their owners have, in recent years, discussed with North Norfolk District Council the possibility of demolishing them and putting new homes in their place.

But today (Thursday, 2 September) the Council has, instead, the happy job of rewarding owners Mr and Mrs BH Crowe for their hard work and dedication in restoring the cottages using traditional methods and materials, while retaining as many of the original features as possible.

Now in its 23rd year, the Graham Allen Award recognises the project which has made the most significant contribution to the conservation of North Norfolk's built environment. Over the years, the Award has been given to listed and unlisted buildings that have been restored and conserved, but also to new buildings which add to the District's distinctive architectural character.

The Award was inaugurated in 1982 as a memorial to the late Councillor Graham Allen, the first Chairman of North Norfolk District Council. It is sponsored this year by East Anglian chartered accountancy firm Larking Gowen.

The media are welcome to attend the presentation of the Graham Allen Award at 1pm on Thursday, 2 September, 2004, in the Committee Room at North Norfolk District Council's head office at Holt Road, Cromer. The presentation will be followed by a photo opportunity at Alicia Cottages, Walcott Road, Bacton, at 2.30pm.

The Award will be presented by the late Councillor Allen's eldest son, Edward.

Photographs from the Bacton photocall will also be available by email from Conservation and Design Officer Gary Linder from Friday, 3 September, by calling 01263 516155.

The 12 Graham Allen Award judges (comprising Members of NNDC's Development Control Committees, David Missen of sponsors Larking Gowen, and Edward Allen) also honoured two other North Norfolk projects:

HIGHLY COMMENDED

• The Boathouse, Gunton Park, Hanworth - This new thatched pavilion incorporates and conserves an original brick, arched boathouse dating from the early 19th Century, on the bank of Great Water (a Site of Special Scientific Interest) in the Gunton Park rural conservation area. The pavilion, which was designed as a sister structure to Gunton Sawmill, will be used as an artist's studio and for other recreation purposes. (Owner and entrant: Mr G Stamp.)

COMMENDED

• 3 Cabbell Road, Cromer - A drab grey paint finish on this prominent four-storey Victorian residence close to Cromer's seafront had given it a very bland appearance and masked much of its fine detailing. With funding from the Cromer Townscape Heritage Initiative (part of the ongoing regeneration of Cromer), the building has been restored and the paint removed, revealing its red brick, stone dressings and decorative terracotta work (which have been repaired and re-pointed where necessary). (Owners: Mr and Mrs G Crawley; entrant: Mrs A Foister.)

For more information about the Graham Allen Award, call Gary Linder on 01263 516155.

ENDS