The best kept villages in the Wiltshire round of the Calor Village of the Year contest have been announced this week.

In the Kennet district the top villages (large, medium and small) are Ramsbury, Milton Lilbourne and Stert.

In North Wiltshire the three winners are Colerne, Charlton and Upper and Lower Seagry.

The district rounds of the Wiltshire Best Kept Village competition are the first step on the way to the Calor Village of the Year national awards.

Last year Aldbourne not only won the large village section of the district round, it went on to the national finals where it was judged the winner in the IT category for its website.

The competition focuses on the community spirit which is highlighted, said the organisers, through a village's well-kept environment.

It involved communities pulling together for the benefit of everyone.

The Wiltshire rounds are organised by the CPRE and the county branch chairman George McDonic said: "We had a great response to the competition this year with over 60 villages entering. Once again the standard was very high and the judges had a tough time choosing the district winners. This year's judging proved to be a particularly enjoyable experience."

Mr McDonic said the organisers were encouraged by the high number of villages entering for the first time and added: "We very much hope that even more communities are encouraged to enter next year."

The judges now have the difficult task of re-inspecting all the district winners for the county round and also to choose one to go forward to represent Wiltshire in the South and South East England regions round of the Calor Village of the Year competition.

The total prize money of £37,000 will be shared out nationally with the winning village getting a prize of £10,500.