A nine-year-old Hackney artist won a trophy and £500 in a heritage art competition earlier this month.

The photography and art competition that Chieyiem Nwigwe entered was launched by heritage charity The 1805 Club to promote a 19th century Falmouth to London coaching route called The Trafalgar Way.

The route transported the first news of the famous Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, safely to the admiralty who were once in charge of the royal navy.

Chieyiem's colourful image was awarded the John Richards Lapenotiere Trophy, named after the Trafalgar messenger Lieutenant Lapenotiere, commander of one of the smallest ships present at Trafalgar, HM Schooner Pickle.

The nine-year-old's winning post-card picture, created in marker pens when she was eight, shows both the sea and land aspects of Lapenotiere's journey.

%image(15007793, type="article-full", alt="The postcard shows both the sea and land aspects of Lapenotiere's journey, his ship at anchor in Falmouth, the admiralty in London, and a road between them with an original bird's eye view portrayal of the coach and horses used by the messenger")

Chieiyem said: "I think this picture makes a good postcard because it shows the journey from HMS Pickle in Falmouth all the way, by horse driven carriage, to the admiralty in London.

"I liked having the carriage seen from bird’s eye view and I liked the whole story about the journey. The sun rising and setting shows that the journey took a long time. I enjoyed making it because the horses look cute."

The young artist was awarded received her awards at a ceremony held at the Army & Navy Club in Pall Mall on November 6.

She was presented with her winner's cheque and certificate by celebrated marine painter Geoff Hunt President of Britain's Royal Society of Marine Artists (RSMA).

%image(15007794, type="article-full", alt="Artist Chieyiem Nwigwe, now nine, pictured with her winning picture and "Lt Lapenotiere" played by Thomas Michaelson")

Entrants were asked to submit scenes set along the route which would make a good postcard image.

Judges were particularly thrilled to see entries which demonstrated a high level of research carried out by artists and photographers.

Kathy Brown, director of The Trafalgar Way said: "For me, the John Richards Lapenotiere Trophy is perhaps the most important award of this project, reflecting the effort that entrants put into understanding the story of the journey and the history behind it."

All the awarded entries can be viewed at thetrafalgarway.awardsplatform.com/gallery/xZxXJzZE?per_page=100