Almost 300 places across Wales have been awarded a Green Flag.

With 291 sites receiving Green Flag or Green Flag Community Awards, the nation now flies more community green flags than any other country worldwide.

This marks a new record for Wales, announced by Keep Wales Tidy for the year 2024/25 on July 16.

The award-winning sites include parks, university campuses, cemeteries, allotments and housing associations.

The Green Flag Award scheme, delivered by Keep Wales Tidy, acts as a benchmark for excellent parks and green spaces, aiming to connect people with the best natural areas.

Visitors to these places can expect the highest standards.

Among the newly honoured Green Flag sites for 2024/25 are Cathays Park in Cardiff and Rogiet Country Park in Monmouthshire.

Out of the total 291, 199 community sites in Wales make it the leading country in the Green Flag Community Awards scheme.

The latest additions include 31 sites that received their first Green Flag Community Award.

The full list of sites in the old Gwent area and the Vale of Glamorgan include:

Blaenau Gwent

Bryn Bach Park received a full Green Flag award. Aberbeeg Community Centre Garden received the Community Green Flag award for the first time, joining Beaufort Hill Woodlands, Park Nant y Waun and Trevor Rowson Park which retain their awards.

Caerphilly

Brithdir Cemetery, Cwmcarn Forest, Morgan Jones Park, Parc Cwm Darren, Parc Penallta, Ty Penallta, Waunfawr Park and Ystrad Mynach Park were all given full awards again.

For the community awards, Aber Valley Community Allotment, Caerphilly Miners Centre Climate Change Garden of the Future, Coed-Y-Werin/Caerphilly, Eco Park Cefn Forest, Libanus Lifestyle Community Garden, Michael Williams Memorial Garden, Morgan Jones Community Allotment, Pontywaun County School Memorial Garden, Shingrig Road Allotments, St Andrews Community Churchyard, St Martins Church, Trethomas Community Allotment, Taraggan Educational Gardens, Van Ward Allotments, Waunfawr Community Garden and Windy Ridge Allotment all retained their community award.

They were joined by Pontygwindy Allotments & Community Growing Space and Ynys Hywel Farm who received community awards for the first time.

Monmouthshire

In Monmouthshire, Rogiet Country Park and Busy Bees Garden received the Green Flag full award and community awards for the first time respectively.

They join Caldicot Castle and Country Park, Castle Meadows, Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal and Old Station Tintern which retained their full awards.

Retaining their community awards were: Bailey Park, Caerwent Meadows, Caldicot Community Garden, Crick Woodland, Crick Meadow, Crucorney Allotments, Goytre Community Garden, Incredible Edible Usk, Laurie Jones Community Orchard, Mardy Park, Rogiet Wildlife Friendly Village and The Cornfield.

Newport

In Newport, Pill Unity Gardens Allotment was the new addition, flying the community award flag. Retaining their community award flag are: Lliswerry Pond, The Glade Community Garden and The Laundry Gardens. Beechwood Park, Belle Vue Park and Gwent Crematorium all retained their full awards.

Torfaen

In Torfaen, there were no new additions. Cwmbran Boating Lakes, Garn Lakes and Pontypool Park all retained their full awards whilst Blaen Bran Community Woodland, Fishpond Park Panteg, Forgeside Rugby Club Community Garden, Henllys LNR and Llanfrechfa Grange Walled Garden retained community awards.

Vale of Glamorgan

In the Vale of Glamorgan, Merthyr Dyfan Cemetery, Penarth Cemetery and West House Garden all retained their full awards.

The new additions came in the community awards with Arcot Triangle and Our Health Meadow both being given the award. Community awards were retained by Barry Community Garden, Barry Uniting Church – The Bridge Between Community Garden, Bee Loud Glade, Birchgrove Woodlands, Cwmtalwg Local Nature Reserve, Elizabethan Orchard, Friends of Victoria Square, Goldsland Farm, Lanlay Orchard, Little Hill Brock Street, Nightingale Garden, Old Hall Gardens, Upper Orchard Field Wenvoe, Welsh Orchard Wenvoe, Wenvoe Community Orchard and Wenvoe Wild Orchard.

Welsh Government cabinet secretary for climate change and rural affairs, Huw Irranca-Davies, said: "I am delighted that Wales now has more community-awarded green flag sites than any other country in the world!

"We are already ranked as the second best recycling nation in the world and today's news is another example of how Wales is leading the way and we are working towards a stronger, greener nation."

Also adding to the sentiment was Owen Derbyshire, Keep Wales Tidy's chief executive, who said: "We’re thrilled to see a record number of 291 green spaces in Wales receive prestigious Green Flag and Green Flag Community Awards, recognising the hard work of all involved in maintaining these sites."

Mr Derbyshire stressed the importance of green spaces for the physical and mental well-being of communities across Wales.

For more details about the awarded sites, a full list is available on the Keep Wales Tidy website.