A RESTORATION expert has been nominated for one of the heritage sector’s most prestigious awards.

Kenny Brunskill, who works for Stone Technical Services (STS) in Darlington, has been singled out as one of the best in his business by Historic England, who organise the annual ‘Angel Awards’ to recognise outstanding achievements.

He was nominated by Martin Hulse from the Tyne and Wear Building Preservation Trust (TWBPT) for his work preserving and restoring the Corbridge Bottle Kilns, part of the famous 19th Century Walker’s Pottery and scheduled monuments on Historic England’s ‘Heritage at Risk’ register due to their poor condition.

The craftsman from Willington said: “To have been singled out in this way is just brilliant. Few actually get nominated so I’m thrilled. We were all really proud to be involved with the bottle kilns’ project as it meant such a lot to the local community. Preserving local heritage is such important work and should never be under-valued.”

The winners will be announced in the autumn.