Lancashire Best Kept Village Competition

Winners 2019

The Lancashire Best Kept Village Competition held its 61st Annual Awards Ceremony at the Villa in Wrea Green on Monday 14th October at which 120 guests and Mayors representing many Lancashire towns and villages were present. John Isherwood, Chairman of the organising committee, addressed those present thanking everyone from participating villages (56) to judges and organisers for their efforts, hard work and commitment this year - we can all be very proud of the goals and results with villages looking their best that this competition brings.

Explaining how the three judging stages take place over the three months from the beginning of June until the end of August; the final stage is by an invited external judge. This year we were pleased to have the services of John Gilmore from the Afternoon Programme on Radio Lancashire. Presenting the awards was Councillor Paul Hayhurst from Elswick, the village named the Champion of Champions in 2018.

The 10 villages who are through to Final Judging were:
Barley | Blacko | Bretherton | Chipping | Halsall | Higham | Freckleton | Little Eccleston | Mawdesley | Wiswell.

The 2019 Champion Village Class was Higham, which received a commemorative plaque, a trophy, a framed certificate and an oil painting of the Village Hall in Higham commissioned by Lancashire Life Magazine painted by their Artist of the Year, Ken Roberts, who lives in Lytham.

Other major Whole Village Class awards went to Freckleton (Large Village); Mawdesley (Medium Village), Bretherton (Small Village) and Wiswell (Hamlets).

There were 15 Outstanding Features Awards for features nominated by the villages themselves. Most entries (33) for Places of Worship, won by St. Nicholas Church in Wrea Green. The Public House award (32 entries) was won by the Blue Anchor at Bretherton. War Memorials featured highly showing that Lancashire still remembers and honours the men and women who never returned to their villages; joint winners for this award were the Cenotaph in Freckleton and the War Memorial in Blacko.

Competition Winners (2019)

• Champion Village - Higham (Runner-up - Blacko; Highly Commended - West Bradford).
• Large Village - Freckleton (Runner-up - Halsall; Highly Commended - Longton).
• Medium Village - Mawdesley (Runner-up - Chipping).
• Small Village - Bretherton (Runner-up - Little Eccleston; Highly Commended - Haskanye).
• Hamlet - Wiswell (Runner-up - Barley; Highly Commended - Roughlee).

Outstanding Features (2019)

1. Place of Worship and Grounds. [33]
   Winner: Wrea Green - St. Nicholas' Church
   Runner-up: Bilsborrow - St. Hilda's Church
   Highly Commended: Parbold - Our Lady & All Saints
2. Schools. [28]
   Winner: Halsall - St. Cuthbert's
   Runner-up: Higham - Higham School
   Highly Commended: Sabden - St. Mary's Primary
3. Public Houses. [32]
   Winner: Bretherton - Blue Anchor
   Runner-up: Mellor - Spread Eagle
   Highly Commended: Lower Adlington - The Retreat, Halsall - The Saracen’s Head
4. Hotel / Guest House. [10]
   Winners: West Bradford - Eaves Hall, Chipping - Gibbon Bridge
5. Public Building. [22]
   Winner: West Bradford - Village Hall
   Runner-up: Roughlee - Village Centre
   Highly Commended: Haskayne - Village Hall
6. Public Playing Field. [21]
   Winner: Haskayne - Jubilee
   Runner-up: Hambleton - Bob Williamson Park
   Highly Commended: Town Green - William Arnold Silcock Field
7. Children's Play Area. [21]
   Winners: Blacko - Recreation Ground, Freckleton - Memorial Park
   Runner-up: Mawdesley - Millenium Green
8. Industrial / Commercial Premises. [10]
   Winner: Sabden - Specialised Automotive Services
   Runner-up: Welch Whittle - Festive Lights
9. Shops. [23]
   Winner: Longton - Blundell's Hardware
   Runner-up: Blacko - The Hairdresser's
   Highly Commended: Parbold - The Old Post Office
10. Sheltered Accommodation. [12]
    Winners: Grindleton - Almshoues, Mawdesley - Stocks Hall
    Runner-up: Blacko - Hillview
    Highly Commended: Goosnargh - Bushell House
11. Notice Board. [25]
    Winner: West Bradford - Grindleton Rd
    Runners-up: Blacko - Gisburn Rd/ Hollin Fold, Higham - Hall Rd/Kiln Hill
12. War Memorial. [29]
    Winners: Blacko - War Memorial; Freckleton - Cenotaph
    Runner-up: West Bradford - Coronation Gardens
    Highly Commended: Bilsborrow - Memorial
13. Bowling Green. [12]
    Winner: Sabden - Sabden Crown Green Bowling Club
    Runners-up: Bretherton; Hambleton
14. Cricket Grounds. [9]
    Winner: Mawdesley
    Runner-up: Chatburn
15. Accessible Public Garden. [15]
    Winners: Wiswell - Coronation Garden, Waddington - Coronation Gardens
    Runner-up: Haskayne - Orchard & Wild Flower Garden

Download Lancashire Best Kept Village Full Results 2019.

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Previous Years' Results

Results 2018 (PDF Download).

Results 2017.