FORDE Abbey, the beautiful stately home on the Dorset-Somerset border, has won a major award.

It picked up a silver in the best small visitor attraction category in the Enjoy England Awards for Excellence.

The award was announced at a glittering ceremony held at St George's Hall in Liverpool and Forde's national honour follows two successive regional gold awards.

Owner Mrs Lisa Roper was particularly pleased with the news and said: "To be named as the best in the South West, a region that boasts some of the finest attractions in the country was amazing, but to know that we are rated so highly nationally as well is a huge honour."

Forde Abbey was represented at the awards by Mrs Roper's daughter and son-in-law, Alice and Julian Kennard, who are involved with the day-to-day management of Forde Abbey and its estate.

Alice said: "To have a few excellent features and then only to be rated as satisfactory on others is not good enough. It is the overall experience that counts. By receiving this award in a competition that included some of the best attractions in England we know that Forde Abbey, backed by a fantastic staff, delivers a great visitor experience across the board."

Forde Abbey was established in 1141 as a monastery and became a private home following the dissolution of the monasteries in 1539. It has now been the home of the Roper family since 1905 and is at the heart of a 1,600 acre estate.