Cheshire West won Gold for its whole-borough entry at the 2026 North West in Bloom awards. Six parks won Gold too, and 18 volunteer groups were graded.
Cheshire West and Chester has won a Gold award for its whole-borough entry at the 2026 RHS Britain in Bloom North West awards. Six of its parks won individual Gold awards as well.
The awards were presented at Bolton Wanderers’ ground. Cheshire West and Chester Council announced the results on 2 November.
The six parks with their own Gold
- Alexandra Park, Hoole, Chester
- Westminster Park, Chester
- Whitby Park, Ellesmere Port
- Rivacre Valley, Ellesmere Port
- Castle Park, Frodsham
- Marbury Park, near Northwich
The council’s release lists the parks by name only. We have added the town each one is in.
The volunteer groups
Community groups are judged separately, in the RHS’s It’s Your Neighbourhood category. It grades groups on a five-level scale rather than ranking them, so several can reach the top level in the same year. Level 5 is “Outstanding”.
This is how the council’s release lists them:
| Group | Level |
|---|---|
| Hadlow Road Station | 5, Outstanding, plus an award for five years at Outstanding |
| Friends of Lees Lane Ponds | 5, Outstanding |
| Friends of Williston Meadows | 5, Outstanding |
| Whitby Park Community Garden | 5, Outstanding |
| Chester University Wellbeing Garden | 5, Outstanding |
| Davenham Community Garden Regeneration | 5, Outstanding |
| Friends of Weaver Parkway | 5, Outstanding, plus the 2026 Gardening for Wildlife award |
| Neuromuscular Centre Winsford | 5, Outstanding |
| Friends of Elm Grove | 5, Outstanding |
| Stamford Street Allotments | 5, Outstanding |
| Marshalls Arm Management Group | 5, Thriving |
| Friends of Westminster Park | 5 |
| Thackery Drive Jubilee Orchard | 5 |
| Overpool Allotment Association | 5 |
| Friends of Lostock Gralam Station | 4, Thriving |
| Lache Garden Group | 4, Thriving |
| Hoole 3 Joint Alleys (3JA) community gardens | 3, Advancing |
Levels and labels are printed as the council’s release gives them.
Hadlow Road Station’s five years at Outstanding is the longest run the release mentions.
What the council said
Councillor Stuart Bingham, the Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Neighbourhood Pride, said the Gold was “a fantastic achievement and something everyone involved can be incredibly proud of”.
He said it reflected the work of “our Council teams, partner organisations, community groups and volunteers who work throughout the year to keep Cheshire West and Chester looking its best”.
What it means for you
- All six Gold parks are public parks run by the council, so this year’s winners are open to everyone.
- Most of the winning groups run on volunteers. If you want to help at one, the friends groups for Westminster Park, Lees Lane Ponds, Williston Meadows, Weaver Parkway and Elm Grove are the place to start.
- The release does not say whether the borough goes forward to the national Britain in Bloom finals. We will report it if the council or the RHS confirms an entry.
Have your say