Top awards for two Shropshire beauty spots

The Mere, in Ellesmere, and the Severn Valley Country Park at Highley and Alveley, near Bridgnorth, have met the high standards needed to receive the award, joining 1,476 parks, cemeteries, universities, shopping centres and community gardens.

Other recipients of the award include the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London and Stormont Estate in Belfast.

The Green Flag Awards are judged by more than 700 volunteer experts who assess them against eight strict criteria, including horticultural standards, cleanliness, sustainability and community involvement.

Managed by Shropshire Council, The Mere is a lake surrounded by gardens, woodland walks and historic parkland. The Mereside promenade, gardens and Boathouse restaurant and visitor centre have recently been restored to their former glory.

Severn Valley Country Park, which is also managed by Shropshire Council, is a 126-acre site featuring walks, a cycle path, natural play area, visitor centre and teashop.

It has now won the award for an 11th consecutive year, meaning it has held the award longer than any other park in Shropshire.

Councillor Gwilym Butler, Shropshire Council's cabinet member for culture and leisure, said: "I would like to thank all the dedicated staff and volunteers for their hard work in maintaining such wonderful parks.

"These are great examples of how Shropshire Council can work alongside volunteers and local communities to enable them to make a real difference to their local area."

Ann Hartley, Shropshire Councillor for Ellesmere, said: "I especially want to say a huge thank you to our volunteers who have given up their time to help maintain and improve the park."

Dave Tremellen, Shropshire Councillor for Highley, added: "As the site of the old Highley Colliery, Severn Valley Country Park is an integral part of the mining history of this part of the county. It is great to see how the park has matured over the last 20 years and how it is gaining popularity with visitors."