Wiltshire Council is inviting villages around the county to take part in the Best Kept Village Competition 2026, an annual event celebrating community pride, care for the local environment, and the people who help villages thrive.
The 2026 competition is particularly special, as it marks 100 years of the Campaign to Protect Rural England championing the countryside and rural communities.
The long-running rural competition encourages residents from villages in our area and beyond to come together to enhance their natural environment, strengthen community spirit, and celebrate pride of place. Communities are invited to organise local clean-ups, tend to shared spaces, and highlight local biodiversity and rewilding efforts.
CPRE works to champion rural communities, protect green spaces, and support sustainability across the county.
Villages will be assessed across a wide range of criteria, including:
- Cleanliness and litter management
- Upkeep and presentation of green spaces, churchyards, paths and streets
- Biodiversity, rewilding and environmental improvements
The competition includes categories for small (up to 300 residents), medium (301-1,000 residents) and large (1,001-3,500 residents) villages. Each category winner receives £200, with additional prizes for runners-up‑. The Winner of Winners award recognises a village that has excelled consistently over the past three years.
The council and idverde are once again sponsoring the competition and to support participating communities, the council can provide litter pickers, waste bags and other equipment for local clean-up activities. Requests can be made by contacting the Community Engagement Manager at wiltshirehelpdesk@idverde.co.uk(opens new window).
Entries for the 2026 competition are now open, will full guidelines and application details are available at
www.cprewiltshire.org.uk/category/awards.
The competition is open to all villages in Wiltshire, with entries accepted until 19 April 2026.
CPRE Wiltshire is also seeking additional volunteer judges for this year's competition. Anyone interested in finding out more is invited to contact danny.austin@cprewiltshire.org.uk.