FORGESIDE, in Blaenavon, has been named the final winner in the RHS’ Garden Day competition.

A patch of wasteland adjoining a rugby pitch will now be transformed into a community garden that residents say will become the ‘beating heart’ of the town.

The RHS is creating four new community gardens to share the joy of gardening as part of its celebrations for 2022 RHS Garden Day on May 2.

Blaenavon is the forth winner after Huntingdon (England), Paisley (Scotland) and Randalstown (Northern Ireland).

Forgeside Rugby Club applied for the garden to benefit everyone who lives in the former mining town by providing them with a vibrant community hub, an outdoor classroom and a public food-growing space.

The design of the garden, created by Swansea-based Landscape Architect Victoria Wade, was inspired by the heritage of Blaenavon which was the centre of the industrial revolution in the 19th century and declared a World Heritage Site in 2000.

Rusty, steel planters brimming with fiery red, yellow and orange flowers such as dahlias, helenium and sunflowers will be reminiscent of the blazing furnaces of nearby iron works that were fuelled by coal sourced from local mines like Big Pit.

With seating areas, a pizza oven and dining space, the garden will provide a safe and welcoming area for everyone in the community to meet, relax, garden in and enjoy.

Geraint Reynolds, chairman of Forgeside Rugby Club, said; “Nothing ever happens in our village so we’re absolutely buzzing - it’s just surreal.

"We’ve felt so cut off over the last few years from the outside world as well as each other and this garden will become the beating heart of the community.

“Being an old mining village we don’t have gardens at home or a community space where we can all get together. There is a big reliance on foodbanks but now that we can grow fresh food for everyone - we couldn’t be more grateful.

“The garden really will transform daily life so the news has lifted the whole town, you only have to walk down the street now to see the big smiles on people’s faces.”

Blaenavon was unveiled as the final winner of the competition, which received hundreds of applications, on BBC One’s The One Show on Tuesday, April 27, by presenter Alex Jones.  

All four gardens will go on to receive an additional £15,000 over the course of the next three years for investment in the garden and groups’ work with the community.