STOVER Country Park has once again been recognised as one of the UK's best green spaces after securing a prestigious Green Flag Award for the 23rd consecutive year.

The country park, near Newton Abbot, is among a record-breaking 2,391 parks and green spaces across the UK to receive the internationally recognised quality mark this year.

The award celebrates well-managed parks that provide high-quality spaces for visitors, while protecting the natural environment.

The latest accolade comes just months after the completion of the ambitious Restoring Stover Park project, a major programme of conservation and visitor improvements funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund and National Highways.

The project has transformed parts of the Grade II listed Stover Park and Garden, conserving historic landscape features while enhancing the site for both wildlife and visitors.

During its final year, the project delivered improvements to the main car park, created two new walking routes along the Serpentine Lake and through neighbouring woodland owned by Sibelco Minerals.

This includes new information boards, leaflets, directional signage, a digital app and educational resources designed to support school visits.

Alongside the physical improvements, an extensive programme of community engagement continued throughout the project.

Organisers worked with a wide range of groups, including people who have traditionally been underrepresented in accessing the park, with plans to continue these opportunities as further funding becomes available.

Judges praised the park during their assessment, with one commenting: ‘Thank you for a very pleasant visit to your well managed park and both judges have no hesitation in awarding you a very well-deserved Green Flag Award’.

Councillor Sally Morgan, Devon County Council's Cabinet Member for Bovey Tracey Rural, welcomed the recognition and paid tribute to everyone involved in caring for the park.

‘This award is a fantastic achievement and a fitting recognition of the care and dedication that goes into maintaining this much-loved country park’, she said.

‘Stover Country Park is a wonderful place for people to enjoy nature while supporting an incredible variety of wildlife.

‘The success of the park demonstrates the value of strong partnerships and a shared commitment to protecting and enhancing our natural environment for future generations’.

The Green Flag Award is managed by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy and is regarded as the international benchmark for well-managed parks and green spaces.

Paul Todd MBE, Green Flag Award Manager at Keep Britain Tidy, said parks play a vital role in supporting communities, improving wellbeing and boosting local economies.

‘Stover Country Park and the Grand Western Canal Country Park have shown what can be achieved when parks are properly supported and managed’, he said.

‘As we celebrate 30 years of the Green Flag Award, we want every community to have access to green spaces like this that are safe, welcoming and maintained to a high standard.

Stover was joined by the Grand Western Canal Country Park in receiving this year's honour, with the canal park extending its own impressive run of Green Flag Awards to 18 consecutive years.