We are absolutely thrilled to announce that we have been shortlisted in two prestigious categories at the North East England Tourism Awards.

Self-Catering Accommodation of the Year

New Tourism Business of the Year

This double recognition is a powerful testament to our core mission: offering holiday accommodation that provides guests with exceptional quality and luxury whilst generating absolutely zero carbon emissions from its operation. Since launching in November 2024, we have aimed to prove that a new tourism venture could be a global leader in both luxury and sustainability.

An Exceptional Guest Experience

First and foremost, Warksburn Old Church is about providing guests the absolute assurance that they will enjoy an inspiring and relaxing stay in accommodation of the very highest quality. It is not for us to assert that we are succeeding in this respect; it is our guests who confirm it with their wonderful reviews, a couple of which we quote below:

“This beautifully designed home is a testament to how luxury and sustainability can go hand in hand, offering an unforgettable experience for those who appreciate both comfort and eco-conscious living.”

“Absolutely exceptional. The level of care we received from the minute we booked to the minute we left was brilliant. Host and venue are second to none. Anne met us on arrival and showed us how the absolutely phenomenal renovated church works, from clever energy systems to lighting of your choice in the whole of the church. The detail and robust quality of furniture and the process of thinking that has gone into the whole renovation is clear to see, you can feel this whilst living in it.”

You can read more of our reviews on our website, or on our Airbnb listing. To book a stay at Warksburn Old Church, click here.

Where Style and Sustainability Meet

Warksburn Old Church combines the very best in sustainability and the very highest levels of luxury and interior design to create an inspiring and deeply relaxing ambience for guests. This is attested by two of our accolades:

  • Achieving the exceptionally rare Airbnb ‘Luxe’ status involves a rigorous 300 point in-person inspection in order to qualify amongst this super-premium selection of “Extraordinary homes; vetted for quality.”
  • Achieving the extremely demanding Green Tourism Gold Award is ‘gold standard’ independently-assessed verification that Warksburn Old Church achieves the very highest standards in sustainability.

A Global First

Warksburn Old Church is the world’s only church-to-home conversion to meet the ultra-demanding Passivhaus standard for energy efficiency.

This trailblazing breakthrough means this exceptional accommodation produces zero carbon emissions from its energy use, carries an EPC Energy Rating of A, and exports more energy than it consumes annually. The building actually has a negative energy bill of around £500 per year: payments for our renewable exports exceed what we pay for imported grid energy.

We are proud that our Green Tourism Gold Award can be displayed in the front porch, sitting alongside our Passive House Institute certification, which itself cannot be found on any another converted church building. Anywhere on Planet Earth.

Contemporary excellence meets an extraordinary history

Innovative engineering and exquisite craftsmanship have transformed a Victorian structure, originally built in 1875 into a cutting-edge building that is between 50 and 75 times more energy efficient than typical UK homes. Precisely 150 years after it was originally opened , Warksburn Old Church now successfully integrates 21st Century technology with a uniquely relevant 19th Century history.

The 1875 church was originally gifted by the eminent Victorian engineer, Sir George Barclay Bruce. Remarkably, when Sir George became President of the Institution of Civil Engineers in 1887, his Presidential Address included the world’s first ever documented reference to the renewable generation and storage of electricity. In 2025, Warksburn Old Church now brings his vision to life, integrating the very technologies he envisaged, well over a century before they became available.

Looking forward to the competition

We are now looking forward to the next stages of the competition. “Organised in association with the national VisitEngland Awards for Excellence, the finalists on the shortlist will now be subject to a rigorous second round of judging by independent experts, who will either make pre-arranged or secret ‘mystery shopper’ visits to the businesses between now and December.”

As a proud standard-bearer of truly sustainable tourism in the North East, we are, of course looking forward to finding out how he’ve fared at the North East awards ceremony, which will be held in March 2026. “Winners in the core categories will then have the chance to compete nationally at the VisitEngland Awards in June 2026.”

We welcome and wholeheartedly support the emphasis on the economic value of tourism stressed in the 15 October 2025 announcement of the North East England Tourism Awards shortlist, in particular the following:

“It is so important to celebrate this industry and the people in it. Tourism is vital for our regional economy, and that’s why I’m investing in building capacity in the cultural sectors so they have the skills and resources to thrive. We want to double the size of our visitor industry, and by getting this right, and shining a light on the organisations that amplify our rich heritage, we can boost our local economy.”
North East Mayor, Kim McGuinness

“The diverse array of businesses shortlisted in this year’s Tourism Awards is a testament to the incredible visitor offer we have in the region. Our awards champion and celebrate the hard-working people and places in all corners of North East England that deliver truly magical experiences for our visitors. As we look to double the value of our visitor economy over the next 10 years, it is these amazing places to visit, stay and experience that will be at the forefront of this transformation.”
Chair of Destination North East England John Marshall