A TEIGNBRIDGE town’s first entry into the South West in Bloom’s main competition bagged a gold award.

Bovey Tracey’s horticultural prowess saw the town awarded gold in this year’s Royal Horticultural Society South West in Bloom campaign.

2024 was the first year the town entered the main competition, having previously achieved gold in the Pennant Class, which is a precursor to the main competition and was first trialed in 2013.

The town’s entries included Bovey in Bloom, entires from businesses and entries into the ‘It’s Your Neighbourhood’ category, which consists of horticulture-related community groups.

The Brookside Tea Room, the Bell Inn and the Cromwell Hotel won gold, with Café 360 and the Dolphin Hotel winning silver.

The ‘It’s Your Neighbourhood’ awards saw Bovey Tracey Garden Club, Bovey Tracey Primary School and Dartmoor Community Kitchen Hub each credited as thriving, with the town’s Community Garden and the Friends of Mill Marsh Park’s display described as outstanding. 

‘This year was the first time we entered the main competition for Bovey in Bloom, previous years have achieved gold in Pennant class which is a precursor to the main competition so we were delighted to have been awarded gold’ Cllr Sheila Brooke, mayor of Bovey Tracey, said.

‘This is a testament to the volunteers, Brimley Women’s Institute, the businesses of Bovey Tracey and Bovey Tracey Town Council’ Cllr Brooke added.