A Kenilworth wood has held onto an award recognising it as one of the best managed green spaces in the country.

Crackley Wood has once again received a Green Flag Award, alongside five other spots in the district.

Awarded by Keep Britain Tidy, a record-breaking 2,2216 parks across the UK have received the accolade this year in recognition of the high levels of management that go into maintaining them.

Elsewhere in the district the Royal Pump Room Gardens, Oakley Wood and Jephson Gardens have been given Green Flag Awards in the 27th year of the accolades.

Meanwhile Friends of Foundry Wood and Friends of Myton Pool Trust Limited have both received Green Flag Community Awards for their work looking after Foundry Wood and Myton Pool respectively.

The Pump Rooms and Jephson Gardens are among the seven green spaces in the West Midlands to have received Green Heritage Accreditation for the management of historic features, supported by Historic England.

To achieve Green Heritage Site Accreditation, winners have to understand and take action to conserve the heritage value of their site. They also need to help people to understand and enjoy its unique history, from nationally important parks to local green spaces that help tell the story of places and communities.

Crackley Wood is maintained by Warwick District Council's green spaces team in partnership with the Warwickshire Wildlife Trust and Friends of Oakley Wood and Crackley Wood.

To win an award a site must first apply and then and then show an in person inspector around the green space.

Commenting on the announcement of this year’s winners, Keep Britain Tidy chief executive Allison Ogden-Newton OBE said: “Our parks continue to provide a vital sanctuary for communities to play, grow and bond.

“The news that a record number of parks in the UK have achieved the Green Flag Award standard reflects the tireless work of those tasked with looking after these national assets.

“At Keep Britain Tidy, we’re very proud of the Green Flag Award - a crucial component in ensuring the continuing quality of our parks and green spaces, making sure they are managed to the highest standards and are safe and accessible. We believe it should be a minimum standard for every park – and that everyone, wherever they live, should have access to high-quality green space.

"Parks play a key role in the health and wellbeing of the nation not only in the physical and mental health of us all, but also in the environmental health of the planet.

"Congratulations to all this year’s winners.”

(Header image by AJD via geograph.org.uk)