Skipton’s Diamond Jubilee Community Garden won a special award in this year’s Yorkshire in Bloom competition.

And it was one of many successes in the town – with gold awards going to the town itself, the local Stepping Stones project and Holy Trinity Church.

Craven College achieved silver, with the judges commenting that while the grounds had a varied range of habitats and landscape features, financial constraints were having an impact on the overall standards.

Away from Skipton, there were gold awards for Addingham and Parcevall Hall Gardens at Skyreholme and silver gilts for Grassington and Airedale Hospital, Steeton.

“The In Bloom groups have made a real and lasting difference to the places we work in, live in and visit,” said Yorkshire in Bloom chairman Brendan Mowforth.

His comments were echoed by the chairman of Skipton in Bloom, Coun Robert Heseltine.

He said: “These fantastic results have been achieved by hard work, enthusiasm and commitment from a wide range of people in Skipton.”

The list of Skipton prizewinners was headed by the Diamond Jubilee Garden, on Newmarket Street, a joint project between Skipton in Bloom and Craven College. It won a discretionary award for permanent landscaping, with the judges describing it as a gem.

The judges also praised Skipton as a whole, saying the In Bloom group had a clear vision of what it wanted to achieve.

There was special mention of the “well laid out superb grounds” of Stepping Stones II at the entrance to Airedale Park, the narrowboat planters and barrel clusters in various areas of the town and the attractive and the excellently maintained grounds of Holy Trinity Church.

Stepping Stones’ team leader Dawn Barrett said members of the project – which supports adults with learning needs - were over the moon with their second gold award in two years.

“A lot of hard work has gone into it,” she said. “The group thoroughly deserves it.

“The gold award gives us the motivation to continue and we have some good ideas for next year, based on the Tour De France coming to Craven.”

Graham Huntrods, who collected Holy Trinity’s gold award, said the team was proud to receive the honour.

“Over 500 people pass through the garden daily and it is for them, as well as the parishioners and those people who previously cared for the garden and laid its foundations, that we work to keep it attractive,” he said.

The judges also praised the “ingenious array of colourful features” at Skipton Auto Services and the outstanding floral displays at the Castle Inn and Emporio Italia.

In Addingham, the judges said every single community garden was good, with well thought out, sustainable and colourful planting.

“The group have clearly gained from their experience in the national competition last year and are a worthy Yorkshire in Bloom Gold winner,” they added.

Another gold winner was the 24-acre Parcevall Hall Gardens, which, the judges said, were a delight to visit.

“Great credit must be given to every member of the garden team for their dedication and hard work in maintaining such consistently high standards,” said head gardener Phil Nelson. “To see Parcevall Hall Gardens recognised as one of the finest in Yorkshire is very pleasing.”

Nearby Grassington was awarded a silver gilt “The village was awash with colour and vibrant planting schemes,” said the judges. “Shops, hotels and private houses alike were involved in the excellent display and from the co-ordination of colour schemes it was evident there had been a great deal of co-operation.”

Also receiving a silver gilt award was Airedale Hospital.

The judges said: “The garden team have an impressive knowledge and set a high standard in all they do.

“The variety and colour of the rich planting was really impressive. Together with seating, this planting will do lots to soothe and raise the spirits of patients and visitors.”