POOLE Park and Upton Country Park are officially among some of the country’s best parks.

This comes after both parks were awarded Green Flag status for the outstanding maintenance of the green spaces.

The popular parks have also been awarded the Green Heritage Site Accreditation, supported by Historic England, for the management and promotion of their historic features.

Upton Country Park in Poole has over 140 acres of beautiful award-winning gardens, open parkland, woodland and shoreline, with the stunning Georgian Grade II listed Upton House as the centrepiece.

Poole Park is a much-loved family-friendly open space set across 110 acres of open parkland and retains its original Victorian plan and many original features.

Both green spaces play an important role in the local communities – providing excellent facilities for residents and visitors alike to enjoy.

Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council said the news is testament to the hard work and dedication of parks teams and volunteers that care for them.

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Councillor Andy Hadley, portfolio holder with environmental responsibility, said: “This is a fantastic achievement which once again reflects our commitment to providing high quality, well-maintained green spaces for both residents and visitors to enjoy.

“Our parks play a vital role in supporting health, wellbeing and biodiversity, and we remain committed to protecting and enhancing these much-loved spaces.

“These awards are a great credit to the dedication and hard work of our parks officers and volunteers, whose passion shines through what they do.

“Their time and generosity to support their local parks – from gardening, litter picking, maintenance, and habitat conservation – are invaluable and these awards are a real demonstration of their efforts.”

Green Flag Award scheme manager, Paul Todd MBE, said: “Congratulations to everyone involved in Poole Park and Upton Country Park who have worked tirelessly to ensure that they achieve the high standards required for the Green Flag Award.

“Quality parks and green spaces like Poole Park and Upton Country Park make the country a healthier place to live and work in, and a stronger place in which to invest.

“Crucially, Poole Park and Upton Country Park are vital green spaces for communities in the BCP area to enjoy nature, and during the ongoing cost of living crisis they are free and safe spaces for families to socialise.

“They also provide important opportunities for local people and visitors to reap the physical and mental health benefits of green space.”

The Green Flag Award scheme, managed by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy under licence from the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government, recognises and rewards well-managed parks and green spaces, setting the benchmark standard for the management of green spaces across the United Kingdom and around the world.