THE management team of a holiday home near Bowness are celebrating after picking up an award in a national travel awards programme.

The Oaks is an impressive holiday home with 12 bedrooms and 13 bathrooms.

It scooped gold in the Best in the North West category at the Sykes Gem Awards.

The property was built in 1862 for famous Birkenhead shipbuilders Cammell Laird.

It was first bought by the estate’s current owners, Peter and Beryl Adams, in the 1980s, who ran it as a residential college for young adults with learning difficulties for 14 years.

After changing hands in 1997, the school eventually closed, and the building quickly fell into disrepair.

Concerned by the decline of the property, Peter and Beryl bought it back three years ago.

With the help of their family, they were able to make necessary repairs to the building and convert it into a luxury holiday home.