STOCKSFIELD architect Richard Elphick, who grew up in Ridley Mill, the home of his architect father, Peter, has won a prestigious national conservation award.

The RICS Renaissance Awards 2016 Building Conservation award, was presented to Richard for his work as a conservation architect on Mount Stewart, a property owned by the National Trust in Northern Ireland.

He was appointed as project conservation architect in January 2012 from a shortlist of professionals from around the UK.

This was both because of his approach to the project and also his previous experience of major restorations at Wallington Hall and Cragside.

For the next three years he commuted regularly to Northern Ireland from Northumberland to oversee the £6m restoration of the property – a 159-room Georgian and Victorian mansion that overlooks the Stangford Lough.

With involvement in all aspects of the restoration Richard also carried out the interior design of the private rooms of Lady Rose Lauritzen, a descendant of Mount Stewart’s original owners, the Londonderry family, who still lives in part of the house.

The restoration also included the design of a wide range of fixtures and fittings including fitted hardwood bookcases, a new kitchen and a new room to exhibit the Londonderry silver collection, displayed behind bullet proof glass.

Of particular note was Richard’s solution for protecting a priceless painting by George Stubbs where the skylight above was casting too much daylight onto the picture causing it to degrade.

He designed a specialist fabric using performance sailcloth to provide an external shade, successfully reducing the level of daylight by 50 per cent.

The project was completed in March 2015. Initially Mr Elphick won the local Northern Ireland Region RICS Renaissance Building Conservation Award early in 2016 before being shortlisted for the national awards presented in London last week.

Richard said: “This was a particularly challenging project which drew on all my conservation and architectural skills, but it was a dream to work on such a fine building with so much history.

“This has sadly marked the end of what has been a most enjoyable three years of travelling to Northern Ireland to work with an excellent specialist team.

“It is also gratifying to view the completed restoration work in the knowledge that Mount Stewart’s long term future is assured.”