Telford Town Park and two other Shropshire tourist attractions awarded Green Flag award
Three tourist attractions in the county have been awarded Green Flag status.
Telford Town Park has been given the accolade for the second time, with The Mere at Ellesmere and Severn Valley Country Park also honoured.
Last year, Telford Town Park was hailed as the best park in the UK and now it has been given the Green Flag award.
The status is handed out to the best parks and green spaces in the country.
Telford Town Park won the award after being visited by mystery shoppers from Keep Britain Tidy. They were sent to rate the park after it scooped top prize in the Fields In Trust awards last December.
The park has one of the best playgrounds in the county, a water park and crazy golf. And, with its proximity to Telford shopping centre and Southwater, it is helping to make the town a day-trip destination for families.
The park has been praised for encouraging visitors to explore, its friendly, knowledgeable and welcoming staff, its easy access, being clean and tidy and for its range of play equipment.
The Mere in Ellesmere was first awarded the accolade in 2014 and has again been named on the list, while Severn Valley Country Park, Alveley, was the first Green Flag award park in Shropshire and has held the standard since 2004.
The judges said: "Telford Town Park is a first-class facility and both myself and my family enjoyed our visit and will be making a return visit."
Councillor Liz Clare, Telford and Wrekin Council's cabinet member for culture, sports, parks and green spaces, said: "I am delighted, but not surprised that our beautiful park will, for the second year running, receive a Green Flag award from Keep Britain Tidy.
"The award recognises and highlights that people in Telford and Wrekin are benefiting from a green space of the very highest quality."
Covering 420 acres of green space, the park has received significant investment in the last five years. It has a new visitor centre, water play park, high ropes course, adventure golf course, all-ability play area, teenage activity area, nature and heritage trails, picnic areas and other attractions.
It also includes the existing play areas, formal gardens and local nature reserve.
It is now among a record-breaking 1,686 parks and green spaces that received the prestigious Green Flag award this year.
