Cumbrian gardening guru Tim Longville and acclaimed Lake District photographer Val Corbett have lifted the prestigious Lakeland Book of the Year prize 2008.
The pair were crowned overall winners this afternoon after teaming up to deliver Gardens of the Lake District, a detailed and colourful history of over 40 superb gardens in Cumbria. The high quality 257-page tome includes among others; Holker Hall, Muncaster Castle, Levens Hall, Holehird, Mirehouse, Keswick; Scarthwaite, Borrowdale; Hutton-in-the-Forest, Penrith, Cairnbeck near Irthington and many more.
The book, published by Wainwright publishers Frances Lincoln, also took the top honour in The Bill Rollinson Landscape and Tradition Category. Tim lives in the county and writes regularly for Cumbria Life and the esteemed gardening journal Hortus; as well as contributing to many national magazines including Country Life and English Garden. Val, who lives at Helton near Penrith, has been a freelance photographer for over 20 years and her inspiring photographs of the dramatic Lake District appear regularly in national magazines.
The pair were presented with their awards at the official literary luncheon held at the Langdale Chase Hotel, Windermere, and overseen by chairman of the judges Hunter Davies who presented the top prize. Runner-up was Scafell: Portrait of A Mountain by prize-winning Lake District author Bill Birkett, of Little Langdale. It tells the story of the most powerful group of mountains in England and the highest. In third place was Walking With Beatrix Potter by Norman and June Buckley, of Windermere, which profiles 15 walks in Beatrix Potter country and combines some history of the famous children’s author alongside original photos and drawings from her popular books.
The top three winners meant a hat-trick of wins in the top category for the London-based publishing house Frances Lincoln, and also won first in the Michael Berry Prize with a Lake District Miscellany by Tom Holman.
In fourth for the Lakeland Book of the Year Award was A Coniston Notebook by John and Gilly Hodgkinson, of Rydal near Ambleside.
As well as the main awards there were five categories. The categories and winners were:
The Saint and Co Prize for Business, Industry 1: 104 Men by Amanda M.Garraway Hugh Falkus – A Life On The Edge by Chris Newton The History of the Aglionbys by Henry Summerson
The Bookends Prize for Arts, Literature 1: The Carhullan Army by Sarah Hall Arsenic Labyrinth by Martin Edwards A Softer Landscape by Mary E. Burkett and Valerie M. Rickerby
The Michael Berry Prize for Guides, Walks, Places 1: A Lake District Miscellany by Tom Holman The Cumberland Coast by Neil Curry Cartmell Fell: A Patchwork History by Jennifer Forsyth
The Bill Rollinson Prize for Landscape and Tradition 1: Gardens of the Lake District by Tim Longville and Val Corbett More Plain People and Places On The Cumbrian Solway Plain by Holme St Cuthbert History Group Between The Tides by Cedric Robison
The David Winkworth Prize for Illustration and Presentation 1: Scafell: Portrait of A Mountain by Bill Birkett Walking With Beatrix Potter by Norman and June Buckley Coniston Notebook by John and Gilly Hodgkinson
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