Lancashire Best Kept Village Competition

Entry & Cost

Competition details and entry forms are normally sent out in January each year to known contacts (usually Parish Council clerks) and of course may be downloaded from this website.

Lancashire VillageIn order to encourage participation we keep entry costs low - the benefits of the competition in terms of communal activity, local pride, team work and community life bringing its own rewards.

Entry fees do not cover running costs, or the provision of provide prizes - trophies and certificates - for that we rely on the generous support offered by our sponsors in order to continue with the competition.

For 2025 we have kept our entry cost to £25 for all 'Best Kept Village' categories; however in order to encourage entries in the 'Urban Community' category we have suspended the £25 entry fee.

Completed Entry Forms should be with the Competiton Organiser by 30th March, complete with a simple map (not a Google print) indicating the boundary of the village, the Outstanding Feature locations and any areas subjected to temporary disruption to be excluded from judging. Mario Maps available through the Lancashire County Council website are are very good.

Indicate too any wild uncut areas left to encourage bees, butterflies and insects.

Sponsors

Our thanks this year to: The Villa, Wrea Green | Lancashire Association of Local Councils | Lancashire Life | Ribble Valley Borough Council.

A number of individual county councillors provide support for which we are most grateful.

 

News: Latest

Entry deadline has passed and the 2025 competition is under way for 'Best Kept Village', 'Outstanding Features' and fledgling 'Urban Communities' categories - Participating Villages.

We will update you as the competition progresses. Any queries contact the Competition Organiser.

Best Kept Village Winners (in 2024):
Final judged by Edwin Booth, Chairman of Booths Supermarkets.
◆ Champion - Grindleton
◆ Large - Longton
◆ Medium - Waddington
◆ Small - Brindle
◆ Hamlet - Little Eccleston

Urban Community (2024):
◆ Ingol

Outstanding Features (2024):
There were 247 nominated 'Outstanding Features' from Lancashire villages across the 16 categories.

2024 Results in full.

We look forward to visiting villages over the spring and summer months and wish our villages well with their endeavour. As ever we much appreciate all who take part and support this event, especially our Judges, Committee and sponsors.

In 2019 the 'Constitution of the Competition' was updated and streamlined, simplifying all paperwork used by villages and judges; the Certificate of Merit part of the competition was overhauled, replaced by a secondary competition called 'Outstanding Features' - villages entering the main competition able to nominate up to 10 Outstanding Features of their village, and certificates awarded to the best in each class. Ahead of the 2023 competition there was further review of the Constitution, entry and judging criteria and a pilot in place to add a 'Tidy Towns' section - this has evolved to become 'Urban Communities'.

Downloads

Other Information

'10 Lancashire villages that you should visit' Lancashire Life (article)

'10 Most Picturesque Villages in Lancashire' Hotels.com (Go Guide). Visit period drama sets, unique hamlets and areas of outstanding beauty…

Did you know there are regional best kept village competitions across the United Kingdom?

Our thanks to our 2024 sponsors: Barton Grange Group, Eaves Hall Hotel at West Radford, Lancashire Association of Local Councils (LALC).