MOLD'S Bailey Hill has been handed a prestigious award after work over recent years has breathed new life into the site.

Bailey Hill has won its first Keep Wales Tidy Green Flag Award – the international mark of a quality park or green space.

The Bailey Hill Tripartite Group is celebrating the recognition of its work to produce excellent visitor facilities, high environmental standards and commitment to delivering great quality green space.

Bailey Hill, an 11th century Norman motte-and-bailey castle, is a Scheduled Ancient Monument site situated in a conservation area in the centre of Mold.

The park is managed by a tripartite group including Flintshire County Council, Mold Town Council and local charity Friends of Bailey Hill.

The park has recently undergone a huge amount of redevelopment work to improve the site and the facilities available for visitors. Receiving this recognition has further emphasised how these recent improvements were needed.

The Green Flag Award programme is delivered in Wales by environmental charity Keep Wales Tidy, with support from Welsh Government. Independent green space experts volunteered their time to judge applicant sites against eight strict criteria, including biodiversity, cleanliness, environmental management, and community involvement.

Other local winners of the Green Flag Award were Greenfield Valley, Wepre Park and Llanferres Park.

Councillor Glyn Banks cabinet member for streetscene and transportation said: “We are honoured to receive the Green Flag award, which demonstrates the hard work that has gone into developing and managing Bailey Hill.

"Local green spaces are vital to community wellbeing and wildlife, and Bailey Hill is a fantastic example of this right in the heart of Mold.

"I would like to extend my thanks to the excellent partnership working, volunteers and staff who have worked so hard to maintain these high standards and allow us to fly the Green Flag."

The mayor of Mold, councillor Sarah Taylor said: “I was incredibly proud to be at the presentation of the green flag status for Bailey Hill.

"It is an enormous credit to all that have been involved and is a great example of what true partnership working can achieve.

"The archaeological discoveries that have been made as part of the project are significant and I look forward to learning more about them as further information becomes available. We are so lucky to have such a great facility on our doorstep.”