Restoration award for Mereworth church

The 2009 Georgian Group Architectural Award for the best restoration of a Georgian church was presented by His Royal Highness The Duke of Gloucester at Christie's, London SW1 on 4 November - and the winner was St Lawerence Church, Mereworth.

The awards recognise exemplary conservation and restoration projects in the United Kingdom and reward those who have shown the vision and commitment to restore Georgian buildings and landscapes.

Dating from 1746, its spire a copy of that at St Giles-in-the-Fields and its interior rigorously Palladian, St Lawrence is the outstanding Georgian church in Kent. The project involved exterior restoration to remedy stone decay, replacement of cement render with new Wealden stone, reinstatement of lost urns, replacement of rusting iron cramps and part of the lead roof and refurbishment of the bells. The restoration architects were Thomas Ford & Partners (Rena Pitsilli-Graham).

Picture: Father Noel and Rena Pitsilli-Graham collect the award from the Duke of Gloucester.