Britain In Bloom: Shropshire towns scoop gold

Judges visited the county over the summer and have today named Ludlow, Shrewsbury, Bridgnorth, Newport and Oswestry among the cream of the crop for the Heart of England.

The five towns all scooped gold in their categories with Royal Horticultural Society experts praising their floral displays and colourful planters.

City and town awards:

Ludlow in Bloom - Gold

Newport in Bloom - Gold

Oswestry in Bloom - Gold

Bridgnorth - Gold

Shrewsbury in Bloom - Gold

Hereford in Bloom - Silver Gilt

Leominster in Bloom - Silver Gilt

Newcastle-under-Lyme - Gold and overall winner

Ledbury in Bloom - Gold

Parks awards:

Bridgnorth Cemetery - Cemetery - Gold

Castle Grounds, Bridgnorth - Pocket Park - Gold

Newport Herb Garden - Pocket Park - Gold

The Quarry Park, Shrewsbury - Large Park - Gold

Bradwell Crematorium, Newcastle-under-Lyme - Gold

Brampton Park, Newcastle-under-Lyme - Gold

Queen Elizabeth Park, Newcastle-under-Lyme - Silver

Hotel and pub grounds awards:

The Charlton Arms, Ludlow - Silver-Gilt

The New Inn, Newport - Silver-Gilt

The Old Castle Inn, Bridgnorth - Gold

The Pheasant Inn, Newport - - Gold

Black Swan Hotel, Leominster - Gold

Bell Inn, Leominster - Gold

Holme Lacy House Hotel, Hereford - Gold

The Barrels - Hereford - Gold

The Britannia, Hereford - Gold

The Duke's Head, Leominster - Silver Gilt

The George Hotel, Bewdley - Silver

The Grape Vaults, Leominster - Silver Gilt

The Talbot, Ledbury - Gold

The White Lion, Leominster - Silver Guilt

Former Champion of Champions, Shrewsbury in Bloom picked up the accolade in the small city category, with judges commenting on its unfaltering high standards.

Nicola Clarke and Joe Hayden, from RSH, visited the town just months ago and the pair said they were thrilled to see it remain a "must-see" town.

In their comments, the pair said: "This year saw us visit areas of the town we have never been to before and meet people who share the same passion about Bloom as the Committee.

"We were delighted to meet some new faces on the Bloom Committee bringing added enthusiasm, helping to sustain the group moving forward. "For anyone with a love of horticulture, heritage and culture, Shrewsbury continues to be one of the key Heart of England must-see towns."

The town was praised for The Dingle, its hundreds of baskets, floral vessels and containers, work with schools, charities and other partners and also the well-maintained roundabouts.

While none of Shropshire's towns won their respective categories, Bridgnorth was also among the gold-winners, with judges Roger Bache and Tim Oaks describing the town's castle grounds as a "gem in Bridgnorth's magnificent crown".

They said: "The Town had a wonderfully clean and vibrant feel with town centre bunting and floral displays being supplemented by those of the many businesses involved.

"The number of events and the strength in depth of the support bloom receives was phenomenal.

"By no means a tourist attraction but it would be remiss not to mention the wonderfully maintained Bridgnorth cemetery and of course the real attractions too, the Severn Valley Railway and its unique status a prime example."

Newport in Bloom was visited by Roger Bache and Mark Wiltshire, with the pair finding a "phenomenal" community spirit.

They said: "Hanging baskets, barrier troughs and tiered planters were looking at their very best for judging day, the High Street stood out with its riot of colour.

"Newport may have lost the youngest town crier in the country but encouragingly they now have some very enthusiastic teenagers on board."

In Ludlow, the same two judges said they were impressed with how many groups the In Bloom committee managed to get on board.

They said: "Heritage is king in Ludlow and this is emphasized perfectly by the number of listed buildings ably supported by the castle.

"The increase in the number of floral containers is to be admired and is backed up by local businesses, none more so than the beautifully adorned Queens Pub, a must for a pub entry next year!

"No tour of Ludlow would be complete without the Ludlow Junior school children singing their "Mango Chutney" anthem to the judges as they waved them off."

For Oswestry, the same two judges said they got a "splendid whistle stop tour " of the town.

They said: "The town centre was immaculately clean and void of any litter, a credit to all concerned.

"A great effort has gone into more sustainable planting throughout the town in particular Cae Glas Park and Old Chapel Court. The increased number of sponsored hanging baskets and containers certainly makes an impact.

"A first for both judges was a bloom helicopter flight over the town to view the Hillfort, inaccessible on foot."

Both the Castle Grounds in Bridgnorth and the Newport Herb Garden were awarded gold for the pocket park category, while The Quarry Park scooped gold for the large park category.

Also in Bridgnorth, the town's cemetery picked up gold in the cemetery category.

This year saw the introduction of the hotel and pub grounds campaign, awarding the best venues.

The Charlton Arms in Ludlow, along with The New Inn in Newport were both awarded silver-gilt, and The Pheasant Inn in Newport was awarded silver.

The Old Castle Inn, in Bridgnorth, was the only pub in Shropshire to scoop the Gold this year.