Middleton Hall Retirement Village’s estates team have added to their multi-award-winning track record with a Silver Gilt Award in the 2022 Northumbria in Bloom Awards.

The award follows two visits to view the 43-acre Middleton Hall estate, one in spring and another in summer, by the judges of the prestigious horticultural competition.

Judges make their assessments on achievements in three categories:

• ‘Community’ – the level of engagement of local people and ongoing sustainability of the campaign across the entire entry
• ‘Environment’ – assessing standards of care, maintenance and improvement of the local environment across the entire entry
• ‘Horticulture’ – assessing standards of gardening knowledge, skills and practice across the entire entry

In the Environment category Middleton Hall was awarded a Gold medal after the summer judging, with the judges noting that ‘the wildlife and environment are held in high regard’.

Feedback for the Community category from the summer judging, which was awarded Silver Gilt, noted the plans for the ceramic garden as an area of achievement. In the Horticulture category, also awarded Silver Gilt in the summer, the lawns, edging and transitions were praised as being ‘clean and tidy throughout’.

Following the spring visit the judges commented favourably that ‘all seedlings and splittings onsite are kept, continuing a commendable zero wattage structure with continuous recycling and reusing.”

David Richardson, Head of Facilities at Middleton Hall Retirement Village said the award was a credit to the hard work of the estates team: “We are delighted that our beautiful grounds and the team that keeps them that way have once again got the recognition they deserve.”

He added: “It was especially pleasing to get such positive feedback about our approach to the environment and the efforts to enhance the wild flora and fauna diversity on the estate.”

Northumbria in Bloom was set up in 1964 as part of one of the seven founder regions of Britain in Bloom. Devised by Roy Hay, a horticultural journalist, the purpose of the competition was to bring cheer to the country through ‘community’ gardening.  Through the competition many different people and organisations could cooperate to create plant displays that either complemented or camouflaged the permanent structures in their cities, towns and villages.  Based on the popular French competition “Fleurissement de France”, initiated by President Charles De Gaulle to brighten up the country, Britain in Bloom was born.