Staff and volunteers at Harvington Hall, near Chaddesley Corbett, Kidderminster, are delighted that the Hall has been awarded a prestigious accolade as a 'Hidden Gem.'

The Hall was joint winner in the UK Heritage Awards for the category of 'Hidden Gem', alongside 78 Derngate, in Northamptonshire. In 2019, the 'Hidden Gem' category received more applications than ever before, and Harvington Hall stood out amongst the crowd due to its unique character and moving story.

The winner was announced at a formal lunch celebrating the awards at Grocer's Hall, London, on Monday 25th March, and was received by Hall Manager, Emma Pullen, and long-standing Hall volunteer, Helen Bryan.

Harvington Hall, owned and looked after by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Birmingham, tells the story of a remarkable survival in more ways than one. Preserved by neglect, the Hall also conceals no less than 7 priests' hiding places and a cunning chimney escape, which together tell the fascinating story of the survival of the Roman Catholic faith during the Reformation of the sixteenth century.

Judges of the awards commented on how truly unique and special the Hall is in holding on to its secrets and its incredibly rare wall paintings, and how significant its message of tolerance is to humankind. The Hall has long been recognised as a 'gem' on Trip Advisor, but the team there are determined that it will remain 'hidden' no longer!

Emma Pullen, Hall Manager, said: "Winning this award means so much to everyone at Harvington Hall, some have whom have lovingly contributed their time to it for decades. The Hall truly deserves this accolade, and hopefully it will help to raise its profile so that many more visitors can discover its secrets and help to preserve it for everybody's enrichment for centuries to come."