This year’s amazingly successful Wye Valley River Festival has scooped the top prize in a competition run by the National Association of Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

The Bowland Award, a hen harrier sculpture in bronze, is awarded annually for the best project by one of the 46 Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) in the UK. The sculpture has been touring the Wye Valley, travelling from Ross-on-Wye to Tintern to thank all the communities and artists who helped make the Festival such a success.

Phil Cutter, Chairman of the Wye Valley ANOB, and a local Town and County Councillor, said: "The Wye Valley River Festival beat off stiff competition from the 45 other AONBs to win this award."

The Wye Valley River Festival is an ambitious biennial arts and environment festival run by the Wye Valley AONB Partnership and co-created with local communities and professional artists.

Howard Davies, Chief Executive of the National Association for AONBs, said: "The Award acknowledges the work of people who contribute to making the UK’s Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty wonderful places to live and work in or visit. The Wye Valley River Festival has done a fantastic job of inspiring people to get out and enjoy the landscape and beauty of the Wye Valley AONB, whilst engaging the public with issues which affect the AONB."See the full story in next week’s edition of the Ross Gazette, or subscribe to our online edition here