A CORK life-jacket designed 200 years ago following a tragedy off the Cornish coast has been revealed as the 2025 Object of the Year. More than 1,600 people took part in the public vote for this category of the Cornwall Heritage Awards, which were presented in Liskeard last week.

In 1807, Henry Trengrouse witnessed the wreck of HMS Anson at Loe Bar, resulting in more than 100 deaths. He drew on his cabinet-making skills to design equipment that would prevent tragic loss of life so close to shore. The original lifejacket is now held at the Museum of Cornish Life in Helston.

It was nominated alongside an ornament crafted from Cornish tin (Lanhydrock); the painting that inspired Daphne Du Maurier's first novel (National Maritime Museum Cornwall); a shepherd’s lantern owned by Trelawny author Revd RS Hawker (The Castle, Bude); a prototype beach-life saving Hicks Reel (St Agnes Museum); and a 1950s bus-cum-mobile telegraph office (PK Porthcurno Museum of Global Communications).

Mark Trevethan, principal lead for culture and creative industries at Cornwall Council, thanked volunteers “who give their time to ensure exhibitions and artefacts can remain on show for everyone to enjoy, helping to protect our heritage for future generations”.

Further winners included Mevagissey and District Museum for its RNLI Bicentenary Celebration exhibition; Cornwall Museum and Art Gallery for the renovation of its historic mineral gallery; Liskeard & District Museum for the exhibition Threads: capturing memories woven in fabric; and St Ives Museum, whose centenary celebrations scooped the Best Project on a Budget award.

Mark Berridge of the Castle Heritage Centre, Bude was named leader of the year, while Jack Foster of PK Porthcurno was hailed One To Watch. Cornwall Heritage Trust’s Climate Action Youth Group’s Young Rangers project took the Heritage Heroes gong.