Conservation Champion - Alan Wright Riber Castle

DHBT Architecture Awards 2025

Conservation Champion

Winner – Alan Wright, Riber Castle

This year’s Conservation Champion Award celebrates Alan Wright, whose extraordinary vision and perseverance have transformed one of Derbyshire’s most dramatic and long-neglected buildings - Riber Castle.

Built in the 1860s as a hilltop mansion for industrialist and hydrotherapy pioneer John Smedley, the castle stood derelict and roofless for decades.

Many believed it could never be saved. But Alan saw its potential and devoted more than twenty years to bringing it back to life. It is remarkable today to see glass once again sparkling in the windows.

Working alongside his wife and son, Alan led the meticulous restoration and conversion of Riber Castle into 26 high-quality apartments.

The project was entirely self-financed, sustained by the family’s business success with Paddock Land Rovers - a pioneering mail-order enterprise that made the restoration possible when grants and external funding were unavailable.

Alan’s approach to conservation was hands-on and heartfelt. He cast moulded ceilings with his own hands, painted decorative plasterwork lying on his back and applied the gold-leaf detailing himself.

His dedication ensured that the castle’s history, materials and character were not only preserved, but beautifully revived.

Judges described Alan as “a true conservation champion – a man whose tenacity, creativity and personal commitment have achieved what many thought impossible.”

Riber Castle now stands as a testament to his remarkable achievement.