A LUXURY treehouse is in the running for a prestigious award.

The Woodsman's Treehouse in Holditch, West Dorset is in contention for the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Grand Designs House of the Year accolade.

Designed by wood craftsman and furniture designer Guy Mallinson and Bridport architect Keith Brownlie, the structure will feature on Channel 4's Grand Designs: House of the Year programme on Tuesday, November 21.

The award is given to the best new house designed by an architect in the UK.

Guy, of Bridport and Keith, who runs an architectural business in the town, built the treehouse last year, and it has already won a number of national awards, including the RIBA SW prize and the organisation's SW Small Project of the Year honour.

The treehouse can be found at Crafty Camping, a luxury glamping and traditional craft courses centre.

Guy said: "RIBA and Grand Designs contacted us a few months ago to tell us that they had selected the treehouse for the long-list for the RIBA Grand Designs House of the Year awards.

"We had previously applied for the RIBA South West award and I think that is how they came about putting us forward.

"They filmed me, Keith, some of the other craftsmen and the treehouse over about five days during the summer. It has also previously featured on an episode of George Clarke's Amazing Spaces."

The whole team were thrilled to have been nominated for the award, he added.

He said: "We are over the moon to be up for another award and particularly the coveted House of the Year prize. The other contenders are mostly very serious architectural projects with massive budgets and therefore we are all the more surprised and delighted to be alongside such prestigious entries with a relatively minuscule budget and a self build team of local craftsmen.

"It is a credit to the skill and love that everyone put into building the treehouse that it is now getting widespread recognition."

Situated in the high branches of a veteran oak, the treehouse is described as being the ultimate retreat.

Features include a sauna and hot tub, revolving woodburner, open air tree-shower and stainless steel slide.

The treehouse, which opened in summer last year, also has a king size bed, double-ended copper bath and rotating fireplace.