East Northants stately home restoration work up for national award

Six projects from around the country have been nominated for the Rescue Project of the Year award at this year’s Current Archeology Awards, run by the UK’s leading archaeology magazine.

And one of the nominees is Historic England for its work on what used to be called Apethorpe Hall, near Oundle.

The Jacobean manor was bought by French baron Jean Christophe Iseux, Baron von Pfetten, at the end of 2014 for £2.5m and renamed Apethorpe Palace.

It had previously been compulsorily purchased by the government after having fallen into decay, and Historic England’s predecessor English Heritage then spent £8m restoring it.

As part of the deal with Baron von Pfetten, the hall will be open to the public for 50 days a year for the next 80 years.

A spokesman for the awards, which will be handed out on February 24, said: “An incredible line-up of archaeological projects has been shortlisted for the prestigious Rescue Project of the Year award, recognising the outstanding work that has been taking place over the past 12 months to increase our understanding of the past in areas currently threatened by human or natural agencies.

“The awards are voted for entirely by the public, and everyone is encouraged to participate – voting will stay open until February 6 at www.archaeologyawards.org.

Other nominees for the award are the Cambridge Archaeological Unit for its work with a Late Bronze Age settlement; Crossrail’s archaeological programmes revealing a wealth of secrets hidden beneath modern London; the Welsh Archaeological Trusts; the efforts of the Museum of London Archeology for deciphering Roman writing tablets and the University of Leicester Archaeological Services’ investigations into a Roman cemetery in Leicester.