November 11, 2011
Awards, Ecology, Historic Environment, Landscape Architecture
The winners of this year’s Angel Awards were announced on 31st October at a high profile ceremony held at The Palace Theatre in London hosted by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Arnos Vale Cemetery was announced as joint winners of the best rescue of any other entry on the ‘Heritage at Risk Register’ category along with St Stephen’s Restoration and Preservation Trust, for the rescue of St Stephen’s, Rosslyn Hill.
Opened in 1839, Arnos Vale is one of the country’s most historic cemeteries, but at the turn of the millennium it was in a state of disrepair. Nicholas Pearson Associates formed part of the team who secured funding and restored the cemetery’s historic character. It is now also a heritage attraction and valued green urban space with listed buildings and monuments returned to their former glory.
Throughout the project, care was taken not to disrupt the site’s sensitive ecology, which has allowed its wide range of flora and fauna to flourish. There is also improved disabled access and a number of newly laid paths. Reopened last year, the cemetery also won the Landscape Institute award for heritage and conservation in 2010. It now has a variety of uses, including venue hire, open days and guided walks.
In response to winning this award, Lori Streich, the chair of the Arnos Vale Cemetery Trust said “the award recognises the scale of the input everyone has made over the years, to make Arnos Vale the place it is today”.
The Angel Award scheme is run by English Heritage and is based on its Heritage at Risk Register. From a short-list of 16, the judges chose six winners for their perseverance and imagination as well as the scale of the challenge and how well it had been tackled.
There were four categories:
- The best craftsmanship employed on a heritage rescue
- The best rescue of a historic industrial building or site
- The best rescue or repair of a historic place of worship
- The best rescue of any other entry on the ‘Heritage at Risk register’
Plus a special ‘favourite’ category voted for by Telegraph subscribers and English Heritage members.
A full list of all winners in all categories of this award can be found at the English Heritage website.
