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The best kept villages in Wiltshire have been decided as the results of the CPRE Wiltshire Best Kept Village Competition are announced.
Seend, All Cannings and Swallowcliffe came top in their respective size categories and are this year’s winners. Seend and All Cannings have been regular entrants in this competition, however, Swallowcliffe has won best newcomer and best village in the small category.
Urchfont has won the Laurence Kitching Award – also called the Winner of Winners’ competition –They also won this award last year and in 2021.
In all categories the spread of scores was very small, demonstrating that the standard was very high in all villages.
The first round of the competition saw the expert judging teams from the Wiltshire Branch of the Campaign to Protect Rural England and from Wiltshire Council putting each village under the microscope in May and June. The villages throughout the county were tested against the competition criteria which include tidiness, cleanliness, presentation, conservation and village community spirit. As ever the Parish Councils and their volunteers had clearly been hard at work, achieving encouragingly high standards and making the judges’ task that much more difficult. Each village is judged within the categories of ‘Small’, ‘Medium’ and ‘Large’ and in the first round they are only judged within their own district: West Wiltshire, North Wiltshire, South Wiltshire and Kennet (East Wiltshire).
In July the winning villages in each district were then judged against each other in the County Round, using fresh judging teams. The final results are:
Large Village Medium Village Small Village
1st Seend 83 pts 1st All Cannings 92 pts 1st Swallowcliffe 93 pts
2nd Box 82 pts 2nd Biddestone 90 pts 2nd Rushall 90 pts
3rd Alderbury 72 pts 3rd Sutton Veny 87 pts 3rd Knook 78 pts
4th Staverton 70 pts 4th Hindon 86 pts 4th Stapleford 74 pts
Note that different teams of judges were used in each of the three categories, so the points scored should not be contrasted between categories.
As usual the judging teams found that the general standard of presentation was very high in all villages. Clearly a lot of effort had been put into ensuring that features such as village greens, paths, churchyards and other communal areas were clean and attractive to passers-by. Judging also looks at the external areas of buildings (not inside) and in most cases these had received a lot of attention by village teams. Many judges commented on the excellent community spirit that was evident from the villages’ reports, from noticeboards and on websites.
Seend won the Best Kept Large Village in Kennet. An extract from the Judges’ Report “The church and graveyard is worthy of an award all of its own with wonderful beds either side of the path and fabulous trees. There have been numerous nature friendly initiatives and the whole village feels cared for.”
All Cannings who won best medium village they have not won this since 2016, however did win the Merit award last year.
Swallowcliffe won best newcomer and first in the County round for small villages having just beat Rushall by 3 points. Amanda Brockway from Swallowcliffe said “The residents of Swallowcliffe are delighted that the village has achieved a remarkable double win in this year’s Best Kept Village Competition. Not only has Swallowcliffe been awarded Best Newcomer in the Small Village category, but it has also gone on to secure the coveted title of Best Kept Small Village 2025.
Swallowcliffe’s double triumph is a testament to the pride its residents take in their village and to the collaborative spirit that continues to make it one of Wiltshire’s hidden gems.
This recognition reflects the unique character, charm, and strong community spirit that make Swallowcliffe such a special place to live. The judges praised the village for its well-kept appearance and the dedication of residents who work tirelessly to preserve its beauty and heritage. Receiving recognition from the judges makes entering the competition thoroughly worthwhile.
We look forward to the official presentation day on Sunday, 21st September.
Each winning village will be presented with, and keep for a year, an eight-foot standard with mounted shield, usually emplaced on their village green. Award ceremonies will be held sequentially at the four winning villages on Sunday 21st September when The Lord-Lieutenant of Wiltshire, Dame Sarah Troughton DStJ, will pull away the Union Flag surmounting the shield. Commemorative plaques will also be presented. Cash prizes and framed certificates will be awarded to each winning village and to 2nd and 3rd placed villages and to the Best Newcomer and Merit Award winners. Cash prizes will also be awarded to 4th placed villages. All villages who won in the First Round will also receive a framed certificate.
Cllr Ian Thorn, Leader of Wiltshire Council, said, “Thank you to everyone who took part in this year’s Best Kept Village competition and congratulations in particular to all our winning villages. Your hard work and pride in your communities truly shine through.
“Although the competition has now finished, the spirit of village pride doesn’t have to. If you’re still keen to make a difference locally, we’re here to help, whether it’s organising a litter pick, sweeping paths, or other small but meaningful actions to keep your village looking its best. To find out more about getting involved in your area, visit www.wiltshire.gov.uk/litter.”
Laurence Kitching Award
The winning six villages from 2023 and 2024 were, as dictated by our rules, not allowed to compete in the main competition but were invited to enter the Laurence Kitching Award, often called the ‘Winner of Winners’ competition.
Paul, Community Engagement Manager at idverde, working in partnership with Wiltshire Council, said: “The Wiltshire Best Kept Village Competition celebrates and recognises villages that go above and beyond in maintaining their appearance and fostering strong community spirit. It highlights the importance of community involvement and encourages pride in local surroundings. The competition also helps strengthen the sense of unity within participating villages. idverde would like to extend heartfelt congratulations to all the winners of this year’s competition.”
The results were:
1st Urchfont 2nd Bratton 3rd Ashton Keynes 4th Hankerton
Amongst their comments on Urchfont, the judges felt that it is “The area around the pub and village shop is tidy. Flowers helped to brighten up the area. The village shop, run by friendly volunteers and supplying a good selection of goods is an asset for the community. We liked the sale area outside to purchase a plant or a cup of coffee. The village hall is well use by various organisations to hold events throughout the year and houses a good selection of books to purchase. A walk around the village presents a community who value their surroundings.”
The award (a shield, a £200 cash prize and a plaque) will be presented to Urchfont during the Presentation Day on 21st September. They will also receive a tree provided by Carly Paoli, the international soprano and CPRE Wiltshire’s Countryside Ambassador. Miss Paoli has generously provided a tree to the Winner of Winners for the past four years.
Best Newcomers Award
This award encourages villages which have not entered the Best Kept Village Competition for the previous six years to give it a go. It comes with a £150 cash prize and a certificate. In 2025 this award is sponsored for the first time by Renelec of Devizes. CPRE Wiltshire hopes it will encourage even more villages to enter in 2026. This year we saw an amazing eight such villages qualified to enter.
The results were a joint first winner
Joint 1st Easterton and Swallowcliffe
Merit Prize for Consistent Effort
A prize is awarded to the village that has been most consistently successful in the past six years and this has been awarded to Charlton.
