Lancs Best-Kept Village contest: Full results

It was champion village of the year in 2011 and 2013, but its championship vein of success started in 1976 when it won the prestigious trophy. Then in 2002 and 2007 it won the Small Village Class, has been a runner-up in the Champion Village Class and in 2009 it entered the equally prestigious North West in Bloom Competition, winning the Best New Entry and runner-up in the Village Class.

And Higham was named Best Small Village. Runner-up in the best kept contest was Chipping. The village has won a number of the competitions over the years, and has also won the village section of the Royal Horticultural Society Britain in Bloom competition in 2009, picking up RHS Tourism and Gold achievement awards in the process.

The village’s environmentally friendly public toilets have won the best in Lancashire award every year since a renovation in 2009, this year gaining a highly-commended, being pipped to the post by Whalley Bus Station.

The finals judge for this year’s competition was Richard McIlwain, Operations Director for, Keep Britain Tidy who will present the awards, along with sponsors of the competition, at a ceremony on Monday, October 19th,at The Villa, Wrea Green, commencing at 2.30pm.

RESULTS 2015: Champion winner Blacko; runner up Chipping; highly commended (HC) Wrea Green. Mawdesley. Large village winner Hutton; runner up Whalley; medium Walmer Bridge, runner up Newton with Scales, HC Sabden. Small village winner Higham, runner up Bilsborrow, HC Waddington.

Hamlet Winner Wiswell, runner up Barley,HC Walker Fold. Most improved large village Hutton; medium Ribchester, small village/hamlet Bilsborrow. Best first time entry Wray.;

Top eight champion villages (12 entries)- Blacko, Chipping, Wrea Green, Mawdesley, West Bradford, Halsall, Longton and Freckleton. Top eight small villages (17 entries) Higham, Bilsborrow, Waddington, Goosnargh, Chapeltown, Inskip with Sowerby, Belmont, Heapey.

Top eight large villages (14 entries) Hutton,Whalley, Euxton West, Hesketh Bank, Euxton East, Grimsargh, Whitworth. New Longton. Hamlets (13 entries) Wiswell, Barley, Walker Fold, Roughlee, Spenbrook, Newchurch in Pendle, Haighton, Knowle Green. Medium villages (15 entries) Walmer Bridge, Newton with Scales, Sabden, Ribchester, Elswick, Chatburn, Barton, Brookhouse.

Certificate of Merit winners: place of worship winner Ribchester SS Peter & Paul RC Church, runner-up Bilsborrow St Hilda. HC Mawdesley SS Peter & Paul RC Church and Chipping St Bartholomew.

Public Hall - winner Chipping Village Hall, HC Mawdesley Village Hall. Sheltered accommodation winner Sabden Littlemoor Sheltered Housing; HC Whalley Vale Gardens and Waddington Almshouses. Residential/Nursing Home - winner Goosnargh Bushell House, HC Euxton East Buckshaw Retirement Village.

Public Playing Field- winner Mawdesley Millennium Green; HC Chipping Playing Field.

Cildren’s Play Area - winner Ribchester Children’s Play Area. School - winner Sabden St Mary’s RC School, runner up Grimsargh St. Michael’s CE School.

Industrial/Commercial - winner Sabden Specialised Automotive Services; HC Bilsborrow Barton Grange Garden Centre. Shop/Filling Station - winner Hesketh Bank Booth’s Supermarket; HC Whalley Cosgrove’s and Whitworth Seasons Florists. Farm - winner Halsall Manor House Farm; HC Longton Ghyll View Farm and Welch Whittle Heaton’s Farm.

Pub/Inn or Restaurant - winner Waddington The Higher Buck; HC Goosnargh The Grapes Inn. Hotel/Guest House winner - Chipping The Gibbon Bridge Hotel; HC West Bradford Eaves Hall. Caravan Park winner Roughlee Pendle Valley Caravan Park, HC Old Langho Hackings Caravan Park. Notice Board - Hesketh Bank Village Hall, HC Waddington Parish Council Notice Board.

War Memorial - winner Sabden War Memorial, HC Freckleton Cenotaph and Heapey Heapey & Wheelton War Memorial.

Public Toilet - winner Whalley Bus Station toilets, HC Chipping Village toilets.

Bowling Green - winner Hurst Green Bowling Club, HC Whitechapel Whitechapel Bowling Club and Sabden Sabden Crown Green Bowling Club. Cricket Field - winner Mawdesley Cricket Ground; HC Heapey White Coppice Cricket Club; Public Garden - wnner Hesketh Bank Village Hall, HC Whalley Vale House Gardens.