The National Trust’s Ickworth House near Bury St Edmunds was last night named as Suffolk’s Museum of the Year following a major development at the site.

It won the award in recognition of the work it has undertaken in recreating servants’ quarters and the kitchens in the basement of the building.

It also recognises the partnership that has been forged with St Edmundsbury council to show off some of its exhibits.

The citation for the award said: “The judges were particularly impressed by the engaging way in which Ickworth presents the hidden story of the house, giving visitors an insight into the inner workings of such an establishment and expanding the role of volunteers.”

The awards are sponsored by the East Anglian Daily Times, and were presented at a special event at the UCS campus on the Ipswich Waterfront.

As well as the main award for Ickworth, three special awards were presented.

Gainsborough’s House in Sudbury won the Object of the Year award for Thomas Gainsborough’s swordstick – an award presented after a public vote.

The East Anglian Aviation Museum at Flixton, near Bungay, received the education and engagement award for its work with schools and youth organisations from around the county.

And the Cold War Museum based at Bentwaters received a special award for its work telling the story of the role of the USAF in this country during the Cold War.

The award also recognised its volunteers’ work in restoring Cold War aircraft so they are able to show visitors how they operated.

A total of 24 museums were nominated for the award, and were whittled down to a shortlist of six which were visited by a team of three judges last month.