Warksburn Old Church is now officially the best Self Catering Accommodation in the entire North East of England! We are totally thrilled that our globally unique, zero-carbon, luxury holiday rental in rural Northumberland, was awarded both Self-Catering Accommodation of the Year and New Tourism Business of the Year at the prestigious 2026 North East England Tourism Awards (NEETA), held at Newcastle Civic Centre on 19 March 2026. Sponsored by train operator LNER, the ceremony is now in its 24th year.
Visit Northumberland kindly acknowledged our achievement, commenting “Northumberland businesses took home eight Golds at the 2026 North East England Tourism Awards ceremony, with the county’s businesses leading three categories outright and impressive newcomer Warksburn Old Church earning two gold awards, marking a remarkable debut on the regional stage. Warksburn Old Church, a luxury net-zero holiday cottage set in a renovated church close to Hadrian’s Wall, triumphed with two gold awards in the New Tourism Business of the Year and Self Catering Accommodation of the Year categories, a fantastic achievement to mark their first year of operation.”
The annual ceremony took place last night (19/03/26) and brought over 450 business, regional and national leaders together at Newcastle’s Civic Centre for a celebration of the North East’s visitor economy.
This twin recognition is a powerful testament to the property’s successful combination of world-class guest experience with best-in-world sustainability. Warksburn Old Church is the only church conversion in the world certified to the ‘gold standard’ Passivhaus level of energy efficiency. Offering a ‘best of the best’ guest experience, the NEETA accolades add to the VisitEngland 5 star rating, VisitEngland Gold Award for exceptional quality and Green Tourism Gold certification which we already hold.
As Destination North East England summarised: “The annual ceremony, sponsored by train operator LNER and now in its 24th year, brought over 450 businesses, regional and national leaders together at Newcastle’s Civic Centre for a celebration of the North East’s visitor economy.
“Judges whittled down hundreds of entries as part of a rigorous judging process that involved mystery shop visits and stringent expert assessments to decide who would take home a Highly Commended, Bronze, Silver or Gold accolade.
The judges commented on Warksburn Old Church that: “the winning accommodation impressed with its active approach to sustainability, being fully net zero for carbon emissions. The guest experience is also exceptional, led by the helpful and welcoming owners, who clearly share a passion for their place of work. Inside and out, the property’s presentation was superb, with attention to detail and comfort at every step.”
Andrew Fox, chair of Visit Northumberland, said: “It is outstanding to see Northumberland having such a strong presence in the North East England Tourism Awards year after year. This fantastic outcome for Northumberland demonstrates the incredible offering we have here in the county, the quality of experiences that we can offer and the new product that continues to emerge, made clear by the fact that Northumberland has won New Tourism Business of the Year for three years running. Congratulations to everyone who received an accolade and it was an honour to watch Northumberland’s successes come to light.”
Organised in association with the national VisitEngland Awards for Excellence, the event was once again hosted by journalist and presenter Charlie Charlton.
Winners from the regional finals now have the opportunity to compete nationally at the VisitEngland Awards in June.
John Marshall, chair of Destination North East England, said: “All of our finalists represent the best of the best and their commitment to delivering excellence, quality and that world-famous welcome shone through the hundreds of entries we received. We often talk about how lucky we are to call this place home, and it is safe to say, if the quality of tonight’s roster of winners is anything to go by, visitors will feel privileged to experience all we have to offer too.”
Dr. Alan James, Partner at Warksburn Old Church, commented on the achievement: “We are absolutely thrilled that the judges have recognised the combination of exceptional quality and breakthrough innovation our business embodies. Our goal has always been to show that it possible to combine a truly special five-star experience – for our guests – with zero carbon operation – for our planet. This award recognises that we’re operating at the very pinnacle of the North East England tourism sector, and we’re truly humbled to receive it.
Anne James, Partner at Warksburn Old Church, added: “Beyond the pioneering energy efficiency, this project was deeply personal. We focused on sensitive conservation, ensuring heritage features like the Victorian stained glass windows were beautifully preserved. Every detail, from the individually designed bathrooms to the luxury interiors and furnishings, was chosen to make our guests feel truly indulged. It’s contemporary luxury that respects the both the history of this special building and the environment.
Successfully blending 19th-Century heritage with 21st-Century technology, the property offers guests officially the best operates with absolute zero carbon emissions, exports more energy to the grid than it consumes every year.
