A heritage railway has rounded off a remarkable year by clinching a trio of awards.
Tanfield Railway was named Best in Class in the Bus, Metro and Railway Station section of Northumbria in Bloom.
Judges praised Tanfield, running between Sunniside station in Gateshead and East Tanfield station in County Durham, for its volunteer community spirit, collaboration with local schools and community organisations, and its skill in blending vibrant floral displays with the railway’s 1920s–1950s heritage theme.
The accolade caps off an extraordinary year for the world’s oldest railway, which recently secured both Railway of the Year and Young Volunteer of the Year at the Heritage Railway Association awards.
Angela Pickering, Tanfield Railway Trust secretary, said: “We were over the moon to win. There is so much work that goes into maintaining the railway, and this is a credit to everyone involved. Countless hours go into making our stations look great, and we owe a special thanks to all of the groups who have helped us.”
Another heritage location harvested a crop of awards as Washington Village, home to the National Trust’s Washington Hall, took the title of Best Overall entry in Northumbria in Bloom, now in its 62nd year.
Judges described the village as “a haven in the heart of the commuter belt”.
Washington also won Best Entry in Spring – helped by the installation of dog pee posts in areas where planting was being damaged by passing canines – as well as the Villages category.
Young Community Champion went to Oliver Winthorpe, praised by judges as an “exceptional ambassador for gardening” who volunteers his time and horticultural expertise with Washington Village in Bloom.
It was a heritage hat trick with the National Trust’s Crook Hall Gardens in Durham City winning Best Tourist/Visitor Attraction/Country Estate.
Judges said: “Crook Hall is a beautiful old garden which has undergone a makeover in the last five years, with many innovations and an experimental approach such as the impressive Cosmos bed.”
Belmont in Durham was also a multiple winner. Michael Watson, chair of the parish environment committee, won the Community Champion title, while Belmont Parish took the Urban Community award, Dinsdale Drive won Best Private Garden and Belmont allotments took the Best Allotment prize.
Elsewhere, Darlington won Most Improved Entry as well as the City Centre and Best Park categories, while Bishop Auckland took the Towns and Small City title.
Cobalt Business Park in North Tyneside was named Best Business and Out of Town Retail entry, Berwick won Best Town Centre Retail Area/Business Improvement District and Robert Adam Court in Alnwick took Best Residential Community.
Robert Germany, chairman of Northumbria in Bloom, said: “When people think of Northumbria in Bloom they often assume that it’s all about hanging baskets and the municipal flower displays on roundabouts.
“However, the reality couldn’t be further from the truth. This means that ‘in bloom’ communities tackle everything from litter, graffiti and mitigating anti-social behaviour through to conservation, biodiversity and improving horticultural standards, not to mention the positive impact on health & wellbeing, sense of place, community spirit and civic pride.”
