TWO Monmouthshire villages have been recognised for their efforts with floral displays in and around their area.

Raglan came away from the ‘Best Kept Village’ awards evening at Llanarth Hall with two certificates last week and Usk won a gold award in a ‘Best of the Best’ category of the Britain in Bloom competition.

The Best Kept Village annual awards evening is organised by the Gwent Association of Voluntary Organisations (GAVO) and Raglan not only won the Best Kept Village for the fourth year running, but the Beaufort was also awarded the prestigious Best Pub for the second year running.

The Raglan in Bloom committee were delighted that their hard work and dedication had paid off once again, and chair of the group, Trevor Phillips said: “It’s all down to the hard work of the litter pickers and the men and women of the committee who go around the village tidying up the flower beds.”

The judge told them the village looked “impressive’ and commented about the flowers outside the pub.

Meanwhile, Usk took gold in the Royal Horticultural Society’s (RHS) best of the best’ Champion of Champions category just missing out on the top prize to Truro in Cornwall.  

The annual Britain in Bloom awards ceremony held in Belfast last week saw a total of 76 groups from across the UK competing in 12 categories with each also vying for a gold, silver gilt, silver or bronze medal. All battled what judges have declared the toughest year on record with communities nationwide fighting to keep blooms alive.

Five groups were chosen to fly the flag for the nation following success in the Wales in Bloom competition the previous year; Usk, Fishguard and Goodwick, Wolfscastle, Colwyn Bay and Rhuddlan.

With over three decades of success in the competition, Usk is known as the ‘town of flowers’ and has been transformed through the hard work of its dedicated team of volunteers. Standout features this year for the judges included Marion Powell’s front garden that the judges said “would grace any Chelsea Flower Show”, Usk primary school’s garden and the Girl Guides’ floral patch with pollinator-friendly planting.