GAZETTE & HERALD: CASTLE Combe villagers have got something to celebrate after being declared the winners of the Laurence Kitching Best Kept Village winner of winners award.

Castle Combe went head to head with previous winners from the past four years to become the titleholders in the Campaign to Protect Rural England award.

Castle Combe village was the clear champion, gaining 112 of the possible 125 points in the medium-sized village category.

Adrian Bishop, chairman of the Parish Council said: "I didn't even know the judging had happened. It was a surprise to win. They do it secretly. They send the judges round and they do their assessment.

"Because we won the Best Kept Village competition last year we were automatically entered into the winner of winners' competition.

"Although we try to keep the place as good as we possibly can, we didn't think we were good enough to win, but obviously the judges did."

The Best Kept Village Award serves as one of the best ways of encouraging villagers to keep their villages tidy.

When deciding the winners, the judges look for well-balanced, proactive caring communities, which, irrespective of size, have made the best of local opportunities to maintain and enhance the quality of life for all residents.

"We all do our own little bit in the village," Mr Bishop said. "We have a village tidy up once a year, which is an ongoing thing.

"Lots of people come from the village and we sweep the pavements and pick up litter and cigarette ends.

"The whole idea is to tidy the village up rather than win competitions. It's a constant cleaning up

effort."

Wiltshire's Best Kept Village Competition, organised by the CPRE and sponsored by Calor Gas, has been running for more than 30 years.

The competition was started by the CPRE to encourage pride in the community.

David Ryall, clerk to the Parish Council said: "Three other villages were involved so I'm very pleased that our village has been recognised."

The villages provide the judges with a map and description of the area, and then they go around different sections giving marks out of 25.

"The judges said our children's play area was very well kept and our recycling centre was excellent," Mr Ryall said. "They summed it up by saying Castle Combe is a very well kept village."

Laurence Kitching was a past chairman of the CPRE in Wiltshire and he will present the award to Mr Bishop on October 9.

Castle Combe beat Blunsdon, which came second, Ashton Keynes, which came third and Lea which came fourth.