Lancashire Best Kept Village Competition

Participating Villages

Lancashire VillageThe 2025 Competition is now under way with 47 Lancashire villages taking part across six categories. It is good to see the Urban Community section growing.

There are 'Best Kept Village Competitions' across the country, the Lancashire competition has been going for over 60 years. Villages enter for a variety of reasons bringing people together with a common aim: such as to promote pride in the village, to deter vandalism, graffiti and anti-social behaviour, to help different organisations to work together for the common good, to encourage young people to take part in different activities and connect with the village (planting, weeding, litter picking…) and generally to make their village a better place to live.

After the hiatus of 2020, due to Government Covid-19 pandemic measures, the competition returned in 2021. In 2023 there were 47 entrants. In 2023 the competition rules and organisation was reviewed with volunteer judges attending training sessions; the competiton saw a new category - 'Tidy Town' - being piloted. In 2024, 45 villages took part, and following the 'Tidy Towns' pilot in 2023, the new 'Urban Community' class was created, this allows larger towns to participate by nominating small areas within for consideration for this new award.

The 2025 Lancashire Best Kept Village Competition has invited entrants from villages across the county. There are six categories determined by village size - Villages can also nominate their 'Outstanding Features' - please refer to Competition Criteria and Competition Entry Rules for more information.

The closing date for entries was 30th March. 2025 entrants and class listed below.

Competition Villages 2025

There are 48 entrants this year.

Adlington Lower (Champion)
Barley (Champion)
Barton (Champion)
Blacko (Champion)
Bretherton (Champion)
Brindle (Champion)
Chipping (Champion)
Elswick (Champion)
Grindleton (Champion)
Halsall (Champion)
Longton (Champion)
Sabden (Champion)
Town Green (Champion)
Waddington (Champion)
Whitechapel (Champion)
Adlington Higher (Large)
Broughton (Large)
Grimsargh (Large)
Hambleton (Large)
New Longton (Large)
Parbold (Large)
Pressall & Knott End (Large)
Bilsborrow (Medium)
Goosnargh & Whittingham (Medium)
Lathom (Medium)
Heapey (Medium)
Newburgh (Medium)
Stalmine with Staynall (Medium)
Weeton (Medium)
Haskayne (Small)
Holt Green (Small)
Hurst Green (Small)
Mere Brow (Small)
Newchurch & Spenbrook (Small)
Pleasington (Small)
Roughlee (Small)
Shirdley Hill (Small)
West Bradford (Small)
Haighton (Hamlet)
Inglewhite (Hamlet)
Little Eccleston (Hamlet)
Sabden Fold (Hamlet)
Cleveleys (Urban Community)
Cumeragh (Goosnargh) (Urban Community)
Ingol (Urban Community)
Tanterton (Urban Community)
Whalley (Urban Community)
Whittle-le-Woods (Urban Community)

Competition Stages

First round of judging takes place between Friday 6th and Friday 25th July. Villages through to Second Round are notified by the Competition Secretary by the end of July.

Second round judging during takes place between Saturday 9th and Monday 18th August. Finalists notified by soon after.

Final judging - two from each category - takes place Wednesday 27th and Thursday 28th August.

The Presentation Event where 'Champion Villages' and 'Outstanding Features' awards are announced takes place at Eaves Hall, West Bradford Monday 13th October (1:30pm for 2:00pm).

Full Results are circulated and published online immediately after the Presentation Event.

For reference here are the participating villages from the previous year (2024) and the 2024 Results.

 

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).