Wolterton Park wins national Architectural Restoration award
Wolterton Park in North Norfolk is delighted to have won a prestigious award ‘Restoration of a Georgian Country House’ in the 2022 Georgian Group Architectural Awards.
The annual Architectural Awards, sponsored by Savills, took place at The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) on 25 October. Now in its eighteenth year, those who have shown the vision and commitment to restore Georgian buildings and landscapes are recognised.
Wolterton Park was built to the design of the Office of Works architect Thomas Ripley, between 1725 and 1741, for Horatio, 1st Lord Walpole.
Owners Peter Sheppard and Keith Day bought derelict Wolterton Hall from the Walpole family in 2016 after being uninhabited for 30 years. In addition to cleaning the stone and brick elevations of the house, the eight state rooms on the piano nobile have been redecorated and furnished for 21st century life.
The landscape has also been restored including rebuilding two ha-ha’s, dredging two ponds, partially restoring the walled gardens and planting over two hundred trees. Four restored estate buildings and The East Wing now provide an income as holiday lets, allowing the continued rejuvenation of the estate.
The awards ceremony was presented by Dr John Goodall, chair of the judging panel and Architectural Editor at Country Life, who says: “The house was unoccupied for thirty years before the present owners purchased it in 2016. Since that time they have—as a remarkable labour of love—refurnished and restored the interiors to the highest standards.
At the same time they have rescued a number of derelict estate buildings and transformed them from liabilities into working assets for the estate. The whole project is hugely impressive and richly deserving of this highly-prized award from the Georgian Group.”
Peter Sheppard and Keith Day, owners of Wolterton Park add: “We're really delighted after six years of hard work and investment that Wolterton, which hadn't been occupied for nearly thirty years, is back as a fully functioning and beautiful stately home and has been recognised with such a prestigious award'.
Wolterton Park continues to be restored to its former glory, with Peter and Keith’s ambitious plans to restore three gardener’s cottages, convert four piggeries and complete the tennis courts and walled gardens. As well as a £4M conversion of the 18th century Coach House and Stables into five further holiday lets and community spaces.