THE people of Grosmont are celebrating winning the title of Gwent's Best Kept Village.

The Monmouthshire villagers won the under 1,000 population category for the first time and are now preparing to enter the all-Wales final.

Grosmont villager and Monmouthshire county councillor Bob Wilcox said: "I have lived in the village for 40 years after moving into the schoolhouse as headteacher of the local primary school when I was in my early thirties. "In those days there were between 25 -40 pupils in the school, today there are at least 60 children living in the village."

He added the village had won because everyone in the community took a pride in it. He added: "We've got some lovely gardens, including 80-year-old Ivor Crump's, there are flowers outside the Post Office, the Angel Inn and the Town Hall in the village centre and the churchyard is kept neat and tidy.

" It is a fantastic place to live, my wife Jenny and I would not want to live anywhere else."

Susan Amos has lived in the village for the past 35 years and she tends the flowers outside the Town Hall.

She said: "I find the people are very friendly, and I live right in the middle of the village and have a secluded garden. It's ideal, the only drawback is the lack of transport for those who do not drive."

She is one of the team responsible for collecting material for the Parish Link magazine, which is printed free of charge by Peter Buchanan, and she then distributes it to all subscribers.

Jenny Pile is chairman of Grosmont community council and helps Gadmag (Grosmont and District Multi-Activity Group) with their many events which include pensioners' and children's Christmas parties, a village day in the castle grounds and the May Day breakfast.

She said: "This is a wonderful place to live. I'm a widow and the community is a great support to me.

"When we moved here with our children there were very few children, but now the village has taken on a new lease of life and there are a lot of young families here. We are compiling our submission for the all-Wales final and it was surprising to learn the village has 15 businesses."