Monmouthshire County Council is proud to announce that more of the county’s attractions and open spaces have won prestigious Green Flag Awards this year.
The awards, presented by leading environmental charity Keep Wales Tidy, give recognition to the locations that offer excellent facilities while demonstrating an ongoing commitment to delivering great quality green space. This year sees the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal included for the second consecutive year, while three of the county’s locations are celebrating repeated success: Tintern Old Station (award winners since 2009), Caldicot Castle Country Park (since 2013) and Castle Meadows Abergavenny (since 2014), with the Incredible Edible Garden in Usk receiving its first Community Award this year.
The Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal is a well-deserved recipient of its second award this year. It runs through the Brecon Beacons National Park with a stretch from Gilwern to Mamhilad within Monmouthshire itself. This quiet and scenic waterway with very few locks is popular with boating beginners and offers incredible mountain views and some of the darkest night skies in Britain.
Monmouthshire’s parks are also very popular with residents and visitors and have attracted numerous awards in recent years. Tintern’s Old Station is a popular attraction, and situated in a scenic wooded area next to the River Wye it’s described as a hidden gem. Caldicot’s magnificent medieval castle is set in fifty-five acres of beautiful country park offering an ideal setting for picnics and walks against the background of the castle walls, with picnic tables and barbeques.
Abergavenny’s tranquil Castle Meadows on the banks of the River Usk provides a peaceful setting just a short stroll from the centre of the town. Castle Meadows was the location for the very successful 2016 Monmouthshire and District National Eisteddfod.
Nine other locations across the county have received special recognition with a Community Award: Debutant Incredible Edible Usk Garden, as well as Mardy Park, Bailey Park, Crick Woodland, Crick Meadow, Crucorney Allotments, Goytre Community Garden, Laurie Jones Community Orchard and The Cornfield in Portskewett.
Cabinet Member for Infrastructure & Neighbourhood Services, Councillor Jane Pratt said: “It’s so great to see the hard work and commitment of the many volunteers and community groups that look after these beautiful green spaces receiving these fantastic awards. On behalf of my colleagues and myself, I would like to express our gratitude for all their hard work.
Cabinet Member for Community Wellbeing and Social Justice, Councillor Lisa Dymock said: “I am so pleased that many locations within our beautiful county have received the recognition they deserve. In these tough times over the past 18 months, it is so important for Monmouthshire residents to be able to enjoy the outdoors, and we are so fortunate to have some extremely wonderful locations on our doorstep”
The Green Flag Award programme is delivered in Wales by environmental charity Keep Wales Tidy, with support from Welsh Government. Independent green space experts volunteered their time in early autumn to judge applicant sites against eight strict criteria, including biodiversity, cleanliness, environmental management, and community involvement.
A full list of award winners can be found on the Keep Wales Tidy website www.keepwalestidy.cymru
For more information on the many attractions and places to visit in Monmouthshire take a look at: Visit Monmouthshire https://www.visitmonmouthshire.com/
Tags: council, Green Flag Awards, Green Flag Awards 2021, Monmouthshire, Usk