More than a thousand communities took part in the RHS Britain in Bloom competition which is the country’s largest gardening awards and Yorkshire scooped 4 gold and 4 silver awards.
Leeds won Gold in the large city and Harrogate won Gold in the small city categories.
Knaresborough won Silver Gilt for the large town category and Addingham near Ilkley won Silver Gilt for the small town category.
Filey won Silver Gilt in the Coastal up to 12k award.
In the village categories Spofforth in North Yorkshire won Gold and Hutton Cranswick in East Yorkshire won Silver Gilt in the large village category.
Kippax just outside Leeds won Urban Community Gold.
The chair of the RHS Britain in Bloom UK Judging Panel, Roger Burnett, led a team of volunteer judges who toured the UK in July and August visiting each finalist.
Roger Burnett said:
We had the privilege and pleasure of visiting the most environmentally-aware communities in Britain and meeting the wonderful people responsible for them.
The best thing about being a judge is meeting the volunteers. They’re hard-working and resilient – whatever’s thrown at them, whether it’s a hosepipe ban or flooding, they’ll find a way around it.
The chief executive of Welcome to Yorkshire, Gary Verity is delighted the county scooped so many awards and added:
We are so pleased that from the big cities such Leeds, to small villages such as Hutton Cranswick we have won so many Britain in Bloom awards. It’s terrific not just for the people who live in Yorkshire but the millions who visit every year. It all helps to make Yorkshire a top visitor destination.
