Art deco house scoops top award

The art deco house in Northampton has won a gold tourism award

An historic art deco house in Northampton, which has been restored and opened to the public, has scooped a top tourism award.

The house, 78 Derngate, designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh, is the only example of his work outside Scotland.

The house won a gold award in the Small Visitor Attraction category at the 2008 East Midlands Tourism Enjoy England Excellence Awards.

Northamptonshire's Whittlebury Hall Hotel won the Large Hotel award.

Rebecca Calcott of 78 Derngate said: "We are delighted with our gold award.

"We have made a number of changes in the last year to broaden our attractions for visitors, including introducing an exhibition space and opening up a dedicated food area.

The house designed by architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh

"We are continually working hard to improve the visitor experience so it is great to see all of our efforts rewarded."

David Randall, chief operating officer of Explore Northamptonshire, a division of Northamptonshire Enterprise Limited, said: "This is the second year running that the county has come out top in the Small Visitor Attraction category owing to the success of Rockingham Castle last year.

"We are going to continue our work with local businesses to encourage more entries from the county next year, confirming Northamptonshire's position firmly on the tourism map."