Durham on a winning streak as the county scoops a host of national awards and international recognition

It has been a winning week for County Durham as the county picked up a collection of prestigious awards recognising the world class visitor offer, and the work, creativity and commitment of visitor economy businesses across the county.

The spotlight was on Beamish, The Living Museum of The North on Thursday (26 June) as it
appeared on the BBC’s One Show during a live broadcast which saw it named Art Fund
Museum of the Year 2025.

The £120,000 prize was presented to the museum's chief executive, Rhiannon Hiles, at a
ceremony held at the Museum of Liverpool. It is the biggest single arts prize in Britain and
the largest museum award in the world.

In London, the county saw even more success, on the same evening, at the Group Leisure &
Travel Awards 2025, with Durham named Best UK Destination after being shortlisted against
other top UK destinations, including London, Liverpool and the Isle of White.

Beamish Museum took the award for Best UK Attraction, and Kynren, An Epic Tale of
England, was also a winner taking the award for Best Event for Groups.

Other top attractions in the county were shortlisted as finalists including Raby Castle, Park
and Gardens in the Best Historic Attraction category, and The Auckland Project for Best
Christmas Experience.

It doesn’t stop there as Seaham Hall was named one of the best hotels in the world as it
made its way onto La Liste.

The list, which was launched in Paris in 2015, is a prestigious selection of the world’s best

restaurants and luxury hotels and is published every year. Seaham Hall joined other high-
end names like The Savoy and Claridges in London.

Meanwhile, Raby Castle’s recent landscape design scheme and remodelled 18th century
Walled Gardens took second place at the 2025 European Garden Awards. The magnificent
Castle and Gardens have also been shortlisted in the Historic Houses, Garden of the Year
Awards 2025.

The Story in Durham City marked its first anniversary by becoming a finalist at two
prestigious regional awards, Constructing Excellence North East 2025 and RTPI awards
2025 (Royal Town Planning Institute). The world class facility is a gateway to the history of
County Durham and its people, on the outskirts of Durham City.

Cllr Lyndsey Fox, Durham County Council’s Cabinet member for economy and partnerships,
said: “We are thrilled with these recent awards and recognition, as it really highlights the
incredible quality of the offer we have in the county. The awards also follow our recent
economic assessment STEAM results which showed overall visitor expenditure has risen to
a record £1.38billion. Durham continues to grow as an exciting and attractive visitor

destination, and it is great to see the impact recent investment and developments have had.
We will continue to strive to grow the county’s visitor economy even further, which in turn
benefits our residents and communities.”

Rhiannon Hiles, Chief Executive of Beamish, The Living Museum of the North, said: “We are
incredibly excited and truly elated to be named Art Fund Museum of the Year 2025.

“To receive such a prestigious award is a real honour, a phenomenal achievement, and is
credit to the amazing people who make Beamish such a special place. Thank you to our
fantastic staff and volunteers and to our communities, visitors, supporters and partners for
their support.

Ross Grieve, Managing Director at Seaham Hall said: “We’re absolutely thrilled to be
recognised by La Liste. It’s a huge honour to be named alongside some of the most
legendary hotels around the globe. This accolade is a testament to our incredible team and
their passion for creating unforgettable experiences for every guest who walks through our
doors.

Award success and recognition allow us to shine a spotlight on our fantastic team, as well as
the great county we are proud to be part of. This achievement adds to the growing list of
awards and accolades being celebrated in County Durham; long may it continue."