The famous home of one of the oldest rituals still alive today in Britain has been crowned the most beautiful village in East Staffordshire.
Abbots Bromley, which attracts national attention every year through its historic horn dance, crowned the borough's Best Kept Village on Tuesday, August 8. Organisers were delighted after going one better than last year, when they finished second in East Staffordshire.
They also won the borough's 2017 large village category, finishing ahead of Yoxall, while Bramshall won the small village award, with Marchington and Hoar Cross in second and third respectively.
Abbots Bromley parish councillor Roger Jarman paid tribute to villagers for getting on board with efforts to claim the coveted prize.
He said: "Everyone has kept the village looking so beautiful and clean, with many people giving up their evenings to go litter picking. It's really brought the community together and I think posters made by Abbots Bromley's school children that have been dotted around the village really worked in our favour.
"Ours is a very sociable village to live in, with lots of clubs and societies, whether it be tennis or bowls, and some great pubs, which are great places in which to socialise. I was so delighted when I found out we'd one and it's testament to the hard work of the parish council and community.
"Special mention must go to one councillor, Adela Appleby, who was very much the driving force behind everything."
A hand-over from current East Staffordshire champions Yoxall will be arranged and the Best Kept Village victory pole will be firmly planted in the ground at the village green.
Abbots Bromley has won prizes in the contest on several occasions, most recently in 2014, when it was awarded the best large village gong.
This year's overall awards for the whole county went to Gnosall, near Stafford, for the best large village and Acton Trussell, in South Staffordshire for the best small village.
Kings Bromley won the best large village gong for the Lichfield and Cannock Chase area. In East Staffordshire, Denstone and Stubwood, Dunstall, Tutbury were all highly-commended. A total of 46 villages entered the competition, which is run by the Community Council of Staffordshire.
Best Kept Village chairman John Perry said: "This is my 10th year as chairman and I was yet again impressed by the efforts put in by so many villages throughout the county. The standards achieved across the board by those who entered were very commendable indeed.
"The organising groups in many villages had clearly made residents aware of the villages’ participation and mobilised groups, organisations and individuals to tackle the requirements of Best Kept Village.
"Very many residents were certainly aware of the competition and had done their bit to ensure that their village was looking its best between May and July, the judging period."
