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2018 winners announced

We’re pleased to announce the winners of the UK section of the world’s biggest photo contest Wiki Loves Monuments. This year the judges have awarded first prize to this stunning image of Gloucester Cathedral cloisters taken by Christopher JT Cherrington.

The Cloisters at Gloucester Cathedral by Christopher Cherrington
The Cloisters at Gloucester Cathedral by Christopher Cherrington, Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

Chris has written a short blog post explaining how he took his winning image.

UK winners

Click the title for access to more details and high resolution copies on Wikimedia Commons.

1st: The Cloisters at Gloucester Cathedral

The Cloisters at Gloucester Cathedral by Christopher Cherrington
The Cloisters at Gloucester Cathedral by Christopher JT Cherrington, Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

The judges noted the beautiful symmetrical two-way view along the intricately detailed cloisters at Gloucester Cathedral. The light within this interior space has been well controlled and camera settings used have preserved a huge amount of detail for our eyes to feast upon. A worthy winner of the UK competition.

2nd: Sunrise at West Pier (Brighton)

Sunrise at West Pier (Brighton)
Sunrise at West Pier (Brighton) by Christerajet, Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

A very calm and serene image of Brighton’s West Pier at dawn came second in this years competition. The judges loved its clean and smooth graduations and the soft pre-dawn colours. A highly accomplished long exposure which is not only stunning in its viewpoint and technical clarity, but also in the way it generates an emotional response with the juxtaposition of a beautiful dawn and a derelict site.

3rd: Hardknott Roman Fort (Cumbria)

Hardknott Roman Fort (Cumbria)
Hardknott Roman Fort (Cumbria) by Markas1370, Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

This is a brilliant use of a drone for the way it opens up new ways of seeing a location. The judges loved the fact that the image shows the fortifications in their entirety, occupying the strategic high ground, and includes the drama of the landscape that surrounds it.

Highly commended

Carreg Cennen Castle

Carreg Cennen Castle
Carreg Cennen Castle by Ken Day, Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

Dinefwr castle at sunrise

Dinefwr castle at sunrise
Dinefwr castle at sunrise, by Daniel Phillips, Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

Farnborough Portable Airship Hangar at Sunset

Farnborough Portable Airship Hangar at Sunset
Farnborough Portable Airship Hangar at Sunset by David Faulkner, Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

Humber Bridge

Humber Bridge
Humber Bridge by Bob Riach, Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

New Brighton Lighthouse

New Brighton Lighthouse
New Brighton Lighthouse by Maximiliano Montero, Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

New Brighton Shelter

New Brighton Shelter
New Brighton Shelter by Mark Warren 1973, Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

Walthamstow Dogs

Walthamstow Dogs
Walthamstow Dogs by Jacqueline Padmore Robinson, Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

Best image from England

1st: The Cloisters at Gloucester Cathedral

The Cloisters at Gloucester Cathedral by Christopher Cherrington
The Cloisters at Gloucester Cathedral by Christopher JT Cherrington, Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

2nd: Sunrise at West Pier (Brighton)

Sunrise at West Pier (Brighton)
Sunrise at West Pier (Brighton) by Christerajet, Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

3rd: Hardknott Roman Fort (Cumbria)

Hardknott Roman Fort (Cumbria)
Hardknott Roman Fort (Cumbria) by Markas1370, Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

Best image from Scotland

1st: Arbroath Signal Tower

Arbroath Signal Tower
Arbroath Signal Tower by Ronniedeas, Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

2nd: Wemyss Bay railway station concourse

Wemyss Bay railway station concourse
Wemyss Bay railway station concourse by Colin, Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

3rd: Bass rock lighthouse

Bass rock lighthouse
Bass rock lighthouse by Ben Clarke, Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

Best image from Wales

1st: Dinefwr castle at sunrise

Dinefwr castle at sunrise
Dinefwr castle at sunrise, by Daniel Phillips, Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

Using a drone does not necessarily produce an interesting picture. It still requires a photographer’s eye, and an ability to overcome the technical limitations of many standard drone cameras to produce an engaging image. The judges chose this photograph of Dinefwr Castle in Carmarthenshire (a castle of the Welsh Princes, rather than a Norman castle)  which manages to combine a visually exciting viewpoint with straightforward digital darkroom techniques to produce a striking and beautifully atmospheric picture.

2nd: Carreg Cennen Castle

Carreg Cennen Castle
Carreg Cennen Castle by Ken Day, Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

The ruin of Carreg Cennen Castle and its physical context is captured beautifully – the hazy, tranquil essence of the area, and the dramatic, menacing presence of the castle itself. The site, a few miles from Llandeilo, has a very long history, but is associated mainly with the castle built here by the Welsh Princes of the Deheubarth, and later the Normans.

3rd: Paxton’s Tower

Paxton's Tower
Paxton’s Tower by Matt Phillips, Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

This photograph of Paxton’s Tower is an example of an honest, pleasing-to-the-eye representation of a folly in Carmarthenshire. The photograph begs so many questions – who built it, why? Why is it placed so prominently on top of a hill? A little delving reveals a complicated historical web, taking in Scotland, entrepreneurship, empire building, exploitation, social climbing, war, political spite, philanthropy and much more.

No award was made in the  Best image from Northern Ireland category.

Special prize

The most prolific photographer of “new” UK historic sites was Paul the Archivist, who uploaded more than 200 pictures of sites which hadn’t previously been represented in the database.

Shortlisted images

For the complete list of all the shortlisted images, as well as access to high-resolution copies, see the winners’ page on Wikimedia Commons.