LEEDS Castle, near Maidstone, often described as "the loveliest castle in the world," has won the silver accolade in the national best tourism website category at the Safeway Excellence in England Awards.

Shortlisted against entries such as the Tate Gallery of Modern Art in London, the castle’s website www.leeds-castle.com impressed judges with its ease of use and clear design. Sponsors of the category, The Guardian newspaper’s website (Guardian Unlimited), said: “This imaginative, easy to navigate site exudes professionalism. It combines a clear design with little touches that go beyond what you’d expect. It’s hard to find a fault with this site – and we did try.”

The English Tourism Council awards ceremony, held at Old Billingsgate Market in London, recognised the best English tourism has to offer. Leeds Castle, near Maidstone, qualified as a finalist after winning the regional South East England Tourist Board website award last October.

The castle’s website includes virtual tours and an interactive movie as well as providing visitors with the ability to purchase tickets to its popular Open Air Concerts and Grand Firework Spectacular. Indeed, the website achieved 200,000 page requests a month in its first full year of operation.

Paul Sabin, Leeds Castle chief executive, said: “This is a fantastic achievement and shows how a premier heritage attraction with more than 1,000 years of history can lead the way with 21st century technology.”

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