MIDHURST (Iping Village)-based builder John Guilfoyle has won a top award in the regional round of a national contest, with a development on the site of former quarantine kennels. The four-bedroomed house inspired by a 15th century hall house has eaned him the new homes category trophy in the UK southern region round of the Master Builder of the Year awards 2005.

Dearnley House is one of two properties built on the site of the former Hazel House quarantine kennels near Elsted, a few miles from the Country Market Town of Midhurst.Mr Guilfoyle was moninated by the owner, Lionel Beecroft.

Individual features include hand-made windows and doors. Local materials were sourced for its construction, such as Easebourne stone, Sussex hand made clay tiles snd timber from English Woodlands at Cocking.

Mr Guilfoyle modelled the building on the lines of the 600 year old hall house which he said, in those days, would have been regarded as one rung below a manor house. He and his wife, Laurel, moved from Stedham to live in a stable and granary he had converted into a house at Iping.

He owns Guilfoyle Property Ltd and Guilfoyle Construction, which does the work. The latter has four employees, three of whom live at Stedham and one at Fernhurst.

"Wherever possible we hire local guys" he said "And we have done numerous other projects in the area. We have not travelled more than four miles to work in the last three years'

The company is involved in a development he designed for five town houses at Summersdale, Chichester.

The Master Builder of the Year awards were introduced by the Federation of Master Builders to counter the numerous bad-builder stories which have brought the industry into disrepute.

Ian Davis, the Federation's director general, said;'In an industry where customers compaints are heard louder than praise, the awards do prove there are plenty of brilliant builders across the UK, who are not only great craftsmen but also go the extra mile to make sure their clients are happy'

The national award winners will be announced on September 8th. - Jane Hunt, Chichester and Petworth Observer