Somerset\'s Wells Cathedral Stonemasons have won an award from the Georgian Group for the restoration of a Palladian bridge at Ranston Park in Dorset. The West Country stonemasons, together with client James Gibson Fleming, won the \'Restoration of a Georgian garden or landscape\' category at the annual Georgian Group Architectural Awards ceremony at Christie\'s auction house in London.

The award, presented by the Duke of Kent, recognises exemplary conservation and restoration projects.

Ranston Park in Iwerne Courtenay, Dorset, was built in 1753. The landscaped grounds fell into disrepair in the 20th century and Wells Cathedral Stonemasons have lately rebuilt and restored the abandoned stone Palladian bridge, which had been badly damaged by tree growth.

The Georgian Group said the restoration had been comprehensively and beautifully executed with impressive attention to detail.

Peter Arkell, managing director of Wells Cathedral Stonemasons, said after receiving the award: "It has been very satisfying to restore the park at Ranston House to its former glory. I was actually following in my Father\'s footsteps - he worked at Ranston House in the 1960s as a chartered surveyor helping to restore the house. At that time the bridge was totally obscured by tree growth and we barely knew it was there. Now you can see the bridge from the house, just as it was intended."