Sculpture by the Lakes at Pallington near Dorchester was the recipient of the bronze award at the Visit England Awards for Excellence 2025.
This accolade recognizes the 26-acre botanic garden and art venue’s extreme popularity and customer service.
The achievement marks the fourth award Sculpture by the Lakes has achieved this year, having taken home top spots in the Small Visitor Attraction and Casual Dining categories and Silver in the Dog Friendly Business category at this year’s Dorset Tourism Awards.
Simon Gudgeon, owner at Sculpture by the Lakes said: “It’s an honour to have been selected among thousands of attractions to achieve Visit England’s prestigious award, which is a hallmark of excellence in the UK tourism industry. We’re so grateful to our staff who work exceptionally hard to deliver a top quality, memorable visitor experience at Sculpture by the Lakes every day.
“With multiple awards achieved this year, we’re excited to embrace our busy summer season filled with new events and experiences and see what the next year brings.”
The recipient of the top place, gold award, was No.1 Royal Crescent in Bath, and taking second place was King Richard III Visitor Centre in Leicestershire.
In 2023, Sculpture by the Lakes was recognised for its ‘exceptional quality gardens and plant conservation efforts’ by achieving official Botanic Garden Status – an accreditation held by only 83 gardens in the world at that point in time.
Sculpture by the Lakes wasn’t the only Dorset attraction recognised by the Visit England awards.
Summer Lodge in Evershot picked up the gold award for ‘best small hotel of the year.’
Summer Lodge is managed by Alexandra and Jack Mackenzie.
After receiving the award, Mr Mackenzie, said: “Alexandra and I are both really excited about the fantastic win and so incredibly proud of our amazing team who all are so committed to providing our guests with a world class experience while at the hotel.
“It makes Alexandra and I incredibly proud, both for being recognised for excellence by Visit England, and pride in our team and that their efforts over many years have been recognised and rewarded. National success, especially against so many other wonderful hotels, is the highlight of our careers.”
