Bradford Council’s Cliffe Castle Museum and Park is celebrating after being named joint-winner in this year’s prestigious Britain in Bloom Awards.
Not only did the park retain its platinum status in the ‘Best Parks, Garden Cemeteries and Public Buildings’ category from last year, but this year it also won overall across the whole of Yorkshire, alongside joint winers York Museum Gardens.
The judges’ notes said: “It was a pleasure to visit Cliffe Castle. The team are clearly very passionate about their work in the park – particularly supporting members of the very diverse local community.
“The plant selection and plant quality in all the beds is excellent with much perennial planting. It is well-chosen to give a sense of the heritage of this once-family home. All areas are very well-maintained, clean and tidy with beautifully mown lawns.
“The team work well together and show a wonderful enthusiasm for the environment and for enhancing the lives of their local community.”
The judges were particularly impressed with the collection of cacti, spices and exotic plants in the green house, as well as educational projects such as the ‘Bog in a Box’ teaching about the benefits of peat bogs.
They also praised community engagement highlighting the Dawn Chorus Walks, family days such as enjoying the cherry blossom, as well as ongoing work with local schools throughout the year.
In the same category Bradford Council’s Lister Park also won the highest honour with a platinum award and Roberts Park achieved gold. Keighley Town Hall Square also won platinum with silver gilt being awarded to the Keighley Civic Centre.
Shipley in Bloom won ‘outstanding’ in the RHS It’s Your Neighbourhood category and in the Yorkshire Rose Award for Town/Parish Councils, Cottingley was awarded Two Roses.
Scooping gold awards were Northcliffe Environmental Enterprise Team (NEET) in the Charitable Establishments category; Abbeydale Residential Home in Ilkley in the Small Business category; and Keighley And Worth Valley Railway in the Tourist category.
In the Universities, Colleges and Further Education establishments, the University of Bradford was awarded Silver Gilt.
Councillor Sarah Ferriby, Bradford Council’s Executive Member for Healthy People and Places, said: “I am so delighted to hear that Cliffe Castle has not only retained the highest status of platinum at the Yorkshire in Bloom awards, but that it is also the category winner across the whole of Yorkshire.
“This is a credit to the district and a wonderful result for all those involved, not least our incredible on-site team, which is so well supported by the Cliffe Castle Support Group and other organisations.
“Across the district, in total 11 awards were achieved which is testament to all the hard work. A huge amount of dedication goes into the upkeep of our wonderful parks and greenspaces. I’d like to thank and to congratulate all those who have played any part in all of the entries for this year’s Yorkshire in Bloom awards.”
More information about the Yorkshire in Bloom competition can be found at this website.
