TWO successful Gwent projects were presented with top countryside awards last week.
Penhow Village Shop in Newport won a Rural Wales award from the Newport and Valleys branch of the Campaign for the Protection of Rural Wales.
The shop was saved by local residents when it was about to close in 2008.
The shop is now run by 50 volunteers and offers a range of locally sourced goods including cakes from Raglan and meat from Pontypool.
The Post Office van also visits the shop four mornings a week.
Beaufort Hill Ponds and Woodland was also presented with a Rural Wales award.
The Beaufort Ponds were constructed 200 years ago to supply water for the ironworks.
In 2002 the Ebbw Vale steelworks closed and the ponds were no longer needed and were threatened with drainage.
Local residents decided to take action to ensure the ponds remained available for the community to enjoy.
The Beaufort Hill Ponds and Woodlands Preservation Society was formed in March 2005 and it is now a not-for-profit company.
The Campaign for the Protection of Rural Wales is a charity which presents the awards annually across Wales to reward community and individual projects which conserve or enhance the countryside or rural life.
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