The Yorkshire Country House Partnership (YCHP), which includes Castle Howard, are celebrating their success in winning one of the prestigious 2015 Hudson’s Heritage Awards.

YCHP won the award for the ‘Best WW1 Event’ for ‘Duty Calls: The Country House in Time of War’, a series of exhibitions and events at nine historic houses across Yorkshire throughout 2013 and 2014, marking the centenary of the start of the First World War.

'Duty Calls: The Country House in Time of War' is the latest in a series of collaborative projects by YCHP and looked at the impact of various conflicts on nine of Yorkshire’s major country houses, including the experiences of their occupants and wider communities, from the points of view of owners, servants, tenants and estate workers.

The participating houses were:  Beningbrough Hall, Brodsworth Hall, Fairfax Hall, Castle Howard, Kiplin Hall, Lotherton Hall, Newby Hall, Nostell Priory  and Sewerby Hall.  

Over 1.5 million people have visited the Duty Calls exhibitions and events.

Hudsons Heritage Awards are an independently judged annual national scheme open to historic houses, gardens, museums and heritage sites and celebrate the very best visitor experiences.

Dr Chris Ridgway, Curator at Castle Howard and Chair of YCHP said “We are delighted to have won a 2015 Hudson’s Heritage Award. Winning one of these awards demonstrates the high standards and commitment we offer our visitors to ensure their experience is the very best. Receiving this award is acknowledgment and recognition of the value of working together in partnership with colleagues in other Yorkshire historic houses. The collaboration provides enhanced experiences for our visitors, placing YCHP houses among the elite of heritage attractions in the UK”.