TWO tourist spots in the region have been recognised as some of the best green spaces in the UK after being awarded the Green Flag Award.

Caldicot Castle and Country Park and Tintern Old Station have both won the prestigious award – along with Abergavenny’s Castle Meadows – which encourages high environmental standards and setting benchmarks in recreational green areas.

Spaces are judged on eight criteria which take into account a number of factors, from innovation to health needs.

The spaces should be a welcoming space, be healthy, safe and secure, clean and well maintained, sustainable, and involve the community.

The park’s running is also assessed with marketing and management standards looked in to.

Tintern Old Station manager John Sterry said: “The award is a real achievement for the hard work the staff and volunteers have put into the 10 acre site.

“The Friends of Old Station play an enormous role in the achievement of the award as it is through their fundraising that allows the site to buy flowers, hanging baskets and tools to maintain the 10 acres.

“One of our gardening volunteers, Roger 70, from Chepstow sums it up saying: ‘the site is so big that I wanted to help the limited staff to keep the place looking as it does, I never knew before I started to volunteer how much work it took to keep a site this big looking good. Watering the flowers alone takes a good hour. I find it very rewarding and I also get looked after by the staff, with tea and lunch’.”

County councillor Giles Howard, Monmouthshire’s cabinet member for Environment and Countryside said: “It’s a source of great pride to us that three of our parks have been recognised as worthy of the Green Flag Award and have added to the accolades bestowed previously. 

“Monmouthshire is a beautiful county and The Old Station, Caldicot Castle with its Country Park and Abergavenny’s Castle Meadows are among the venues that people flock to visit. 

“I am particularly pleased that the awards recognise the effort and role of the volunteers at each site.”

 County Councillor Bob Greenland, cabinet member with responsibility for Tourism and Leisure added: “It’s great news that we have retained the Green Flag Award for providing our communities with such highly-rated facilities.”

For more information, visit www.greenflagaward.org.uk or www.visitmonmouthshire.com then either /oldstationtintern or /caldicotcastle