Norden welcomes North West In Bloom judges for its first standalone entry

Date published: 16 August 2021

North West In Bloom judges were welcomed to Norden last week which, for the very first time, has been entered into the Royal Horticultural Society’s competition as standalone entry.

The village had initially been entered into the large village category, but has been put forward under the ‘town’ classification. Due to its population, Norden is classed as a town under the RHS national guidelines.

Read more: A new Britain in Bloom entry for NordenPublished: 09 August 2021

The judges' Norden in Bloom route began over the hills of Owd Betts to learn more about the local history, before culminating at Nutters Restaurant, where judges were served a special In Bloom-grown salad by chef Andrew Nutter, who is the Rochdale in Bloom group’s ambassador.

Thirteen sites were visited throughout the day: Owd Betts, Ashworth Valley, St James’ Chapel, a private garden, Taylor Park, Norden Rockery, the Norden War Memorial, the village, Norden Bowling Club, Moss Row Community Allotments, Moss Row Woodland, the award-winning Norden Jubilee Park and Nutter’s Restaurant.

Judges were treated to a wonderous wildflower display at the bowling green, beautiful large planters at Taylor Park, lovingly-tended grounds at St James’ and the colourful Norden Rockery, sponsored by Amber Pets.

The private garden chosen to represent Norden in Bloom covers a third of an acre, boasting mature trees, lawned areas, flower beds, a water feature, plus a paved patio area with scores of plants and flowers.

The Moss Row allotments have benefited from a wildlife area and pond, which include a bug house, floral beds for essential pollinators like bees and butterflies, as well as overhead bat boxes. A hedge of indigenous whips have been planted around the perimeter to replace the fencing over time.

A community orchard has been planted adjacent to the allotments at Moss Row Woodland, with the help from Whittaker Moss Primary School pupils. The school has won seven Green Flag awards for its work in supporting the environment.

Norden’s Jubilee Park is already an award-winning green space, being bestowed a gold medal for the RHS Park Award twice in a row as well as a national distinction award at the 2019 North West Britain in Bloom awards.

Contributing to this year’s In Bloom efforts, the Norden Environmental and Economic Village Association (NEEVA) became the first community group to adopt the council’s saddle planters in Norden, which will be looked after by volunteers until the end of 2021.

Other projects discussed on judging day included the annual Keep Britain Tidy Great British Spring Clean – when approximately 50 volunteers cleared 100 bags of rubbish from across Norden village, Greenbooth, Ashworth, Birtle, Rooley Moor and Caldershaw – as well as the problem of fly tipping in Ashworth Valley and the installation of five CCTV cameras throughout the valley to help curb it, plus the trees planted during lockdown.

Paul Ellison, of Norden in Bloom, said: “Volunteers have worked so hard to make Norden a welcoming place, so it’s wonderful to finally showcase our lovely village and all it has to offer in its own right.

“We’re very proud of our first Norden in Bloom entry, and are confident we’ve made a solid start which we will continue to build on each year. Thank you so much to our partners and sponsors, and a special thank you to Rochdale Council's Environmental Management for coming on board at such late notice.”