A VILLAGE pub west of York has won awards for its design and sustainability.

The Alice Hawthorn at Nun Monkton has received the 2022 RIBA Yorkshire Award from the Royal Institute of British Architects.

The pub also won the RIBA Yorkshire Sustainability Award and the 2022 RIBA Yorkshire Client of the Year Award.

The awards stem from a 12-bedroom extension, erected as part of a complete make-over to save the 220-year-old inn from closure.

They follow London-based architects De Matos Ryan Director transforming the Grade II-listed pub.

Over the centuries, Nun Monkton, just off the A59, lost four pubs, leaving the Alice Hawthorn, named after a famous 19th century racehourse, as the last pub in the village.

The pub struggled until 2013, even closing for a spell in 2007, when local Kate Harpin took it over.

But despite investing in a new kitchen and refurbishment of the ground floor, its appeal needed to be widened by making it attractive to tourists and showcasing local attractions.

Kate and the architects worked closely with Harrogate Borough Council and local residents on the pub’s revamp, with amendments in the planning process reflecting this.

The scheme includes twelve ensuite guest bedrooms, four on the first floor of the pub and eight around a new courtyard, which extends the village green into the pub’s rear garden.

The design reflects the character of the various informal farmsteads that surround the green, which continues to be grazed by cows and other animals.

The guest bedrooms are supported by new ancillary service areas, including housekeeping and linen stores, and staff accommodation.

Sustainability is at the heart of the project’s design. A ground source heat pump provides heating and hot water, supplied by bore holes and backed by mineral wool insulation and airtightness to a standard higher than current Part L2A building regulations.

Biodiversity has been improved on site through extensive planting and habitat creation. The new courtyard is bounded by borders planted with native species, which also help screen the adjacent bedrooms. An orchard at the back is being re-established with fruit trees and will ultimately supply the pub’s kitchen.

Kate Harpin said: “We were very excited with the shape of the plans as they evolved, and the finished result has exceeded our expectations. We have twelve beautiful guest bedrooms, every one of them perfect in its own way.

“The beer garden has been flanked by the new buildings, making an atmospheric, sheltered and relaxing place to enjoy a pint and a tasty plate. The buildings, imagined as agricultural stables, stores, and barn, work brilliantly in our setting, and I have no doubt will get even better with age and weather.

“However, best of all, our guests love it, and the sense of pride exuded by the staff is wonderful. Since reopening, business has never been better.”