ROCKLIFFE Hall, Beamish Museum and Durham University’s Magna Carta exhibition are among the region’s hopefuls for England’s most prestigious tourism honours.

The three are included on the newly announced shortlists for the Visit England Awards for Excellence 2016.

Rockliffe Hall, the five-star golf resort and spa hotel at Hurworth, near Darlington, is up for the Large Hotel of the Year award.

Outdoor attraction Beamish: The Living Museum of the North, near Stanley, County Durham, is shortlisted for the Large Visitor Attraction of the Year prize.

Durham University’s Magna Carta and the Changing Face of Revolt exhibition, which boasted Durham Cathedral’s 1216 Magna Carta as its centrepiece, attraction 25,000 people to Palace Green Library last summer and generated £2m for the local economy, is in the running for the Tourism Event of the Year prize, along with York Racecourse’s Juddmonte International.

Seaham Hall Hotel and Spa, County Durham, is up for the Business Tourism Award; the Talbot Hotel, in Malton, North Yorkshire, is aiming for the Dog Friendly Business of the Year prize; and Yorebridge House, in Leyburn, is shortlisted for Small Hotel of the Year.

The multi-award winning St Cuthbert’s House, in Seahouses, Northumberland, is shortlisted twice – for Bed and Breakfast/Guest Accommodation of the Year, where it is up against Leyburn’s Low Mill Guesthouse; and the Sustainable Tourism Award.

Two York destinations are shortlisted for Self-Catering Holiday Provider of the Year: The Dovecot Barns and Wolds Edge Holiday Lodges and Snug Huts, of Bishop Wilton. Finally, the Martineau Guest House, North Shields, Tyneside, is hoping to scoop the Taste England Award.

However, there is no mention for Darlington’s Festival of Thrift, which won two golds at November’s North East England Tourism Awards.

There are no finalists from the North-East or North Yorkshire in the Access for All Tourism Award, Holiday Park/Holiday Village of the Year, Small Visitor Attraction of the Year, Tourism Experience of the Year, Tourism Pub of the Year or Visitor Information Provider of the Year categories.

In all, 80 finalists are in the running for gold, silver, bronze and highly recommended awards. The winners will be announced at a ceremony at Blackpool Winter Gardens on Tuesday, March 8.

Last year, The World of James Heriot, at Thirsk, and Matfen Hall Hotel, Northumberland, were the region’s big winners, scooping gold in the Small Visitor Attraction of the Year and Large Hotel of the Year categories, respectively.