Bere Alston is celebrating its horticultural prowess after winning a multitude of awards for its entry into this year’s Britain in Bloom competition.

After winning a Silver Guilt award in the large village category last year, this year, a group of avid and talented horticulturists ensured the village exceeded every expectation and won a gold medal from the Royal Horticulture Society. The village further won a second gold medal for coming in first place out of all the large villages in the South West who entered (an area stretching from Penzance to Swindon), thus winning the prestigious Cox Cup.

Further certified recognition was given to Dr Frances Howard, who was awarded a ‘Community Champion’ certificate for her specialist environmental contribution to the village’s entry. In addition, two private gardens and the village’s community allotment all received Commemorative Certificates.

Jeanette Englefield and Liz McQueen, who chaired the committee responsible for coordinating entry and efforts, said: ‘We won as much as we could win - you just can’t describe how it feels. We’ve worked our socks off and we’re utterly delighted. You certainly have to have commitment and there’s a lot of theory and background knowledge that comes with it, it’s not just planting and arranging. We also have the school, scouts and brownies involved, so it’s a community effort.’

Frances said: ‘Many people helped me with a hedgehog survey, a moth survey and wild flower survey at the community allotments. People put up more swift boxes too and we now have 14, some of which hatched when the judges were here. These two ladies have done all the hard work, and far more than they’ll give themselves credit for.’

Liz added: ‘My husband always told me Bere Alston was the last ungentrified village in West Devon. It was a mining village and these efforts have completely transformed it. Estate agents here won an award for selling so many houses here last year. A gentlemen who has lived here his whole life recently came up to me and commended our efforts by saying, ‘Liz, you can now decribe this village as pretty and lovely’ which made me quite tearful.

‘We now even have a cutout in the shape of an engine house next to the village sign which was made by Abbey Garden Machinery to show that we were a mining village. We have such a nice community.’

Next year, whilst the village plans to re-enter the competition with Frances remaining to help, it will do so under a new direction.

Jeanette and Liz said: ‘We really wanted to go out on a high and we did. Next year, Anne Sherrington and Sarah Dawn Newton will be moving forward with the entry for 2023 and we wish them the best of luck.’

In the meantime, Jeanette will continue seeing to the allotment, whose excess fresh produce is donated to the village foodbank on a weekly basis.