A barn made from straw bales and an eco-friendly family home have shared the honours in the search for north Norfolk's greenest building.The barn is part of an orchard at Salthouse preserving old varieties of apples and pears, kept cool by its naturally- insulated walls.

A barn made from straw bales and an eco-friendly family home have shared the honours in the search for north Norfolk's greenest building.

The barn is part of an orchard at Salthouse preserving old varieties of apples and pears, kept cool by its naturally- insulated walls.

The house, built into the contours of the land at Gimingham also features solar energy, heat exchangers in the lawn, and water from recycled rain.

They were voted joint first in the buildings section of North Norfolk District Council's environment awards as winners were announced at Felbrigg Hall yesterday.

The schools award went to Fakenham High's Team Eco, which has drawn up an action plan for reducing waste, saving energy, raising awareness and cutting car use between sites. Highly commended were Stalham High, North Walsham Junior, and Sheringham High.

A community award was also shared by Sheringham Health Centre's physic/sensory garden created by the town's In Bloom team, and the reinstated top common dewpond by Sheringham Town Council. Highly commended were the

Friends of Sadlers Wood at North Walsham, and Southrepps Commons Trust forest school.

Business winners was The Broads by Bike, a free leaflet highlighting safe tracks and points of interest by a group of cycle hire businesses. Second prize went to Wroxham Lions charity shop.

A special award dedicated to the memory of John Sweeney, former leader and chairman of the council, was won by

Roots and Shoots, a revitalised walled garden now growing vegetables at Holt Hall Field Study Centre.

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