AT the recent Natural Stone Awards the controversial chicken coop at Eastbach Court was highly commended in its category.

The building at English Bicknor, owned by billionaire hedge fund manager Crispin Odey, is said to have cost £150,000 to build the Palladian-style stone temple to house his poultry, nicknamed Cluckingham Palace.

The coop is 16 feet high and covers an area of 775 sq ft.

The building was highly commended in the award’s new build traditional style stone masonry category and credits Smallwood Architects as designing the building with Treasure & Son Ltd as its main contractor and principle stone contractor.

Forest of Dean Stone provided the material and Charles Gurrey was the carver and sculptor.