Thousands vote in poll to find the best Green Flag Award-winning parks

After six weeks of voting, the nation has had its say and the ten best parks in Britain can now be revealed.

In total, more than 30,000 people voted and this year’s ten best parks are dotted across the country from London to South Lanarkshire, Port Talbot to Rotherham.

And it turns out that variety is the spice of life as far as the public is concerned. The parks vary in size and scale from Warley Woods in the West Midlands, which is run by a charitable community trust, to Margam Park, an 850-acre country park estate in Port Talbot and Clifton Park in the heart of Rotherham, which boasts rides and games, as well as a museum.

The Green Flag Award, managed by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy is the international mark of quality green space and the People’s Choice poll reflects just how much communities up and down the country value their parks and green spaces.

Keep Britain Tidy’s Green Flag Awards manager Paul Todd said: “The Green Flag Awards are judged every year by an army of more than 600 volunteer judges but the People’s Choice is the public’s opportunity to vote for their favourite parks and it is wonderful that more than 30,000 people have done just that this year.

‘Winning a Green Flag Award is testament to the hard work of local authorities and the managers of public green space up and down the country. Over 1,700 parks this year are flying the Green Flag Award and the People’s Choice Award shows them just how much that hard work is appreciated by the public.

“The People’s Choice Award also shows that communities value all their green space, not just traditional parks.”

The People’s Choice top 10 best parks are (in alphabetical order)

Alexandra Palace Park, Alexandra Palace Charitable Trust

Arlington Square Gardens, Arlington Association

Clifton Park, Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council

Elsecar Park and Local Reservoir Nature Reserve, Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council

Margam Park, Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council

Millennium Country Park, Forest of Marston Vale Trust

Mote Park, Maidstone Borough Council

Strathhaven Park, South Lanarkshire Council

Victoria Park (Tower Hamlets, London Borough of Tower Hamlets

Warley Woods, Warley Woods Community Trust