LYMPSTONE village railway station has won a national award for its garden. The garden, which was created and is tended by volunteers, was singled out for praise above hundreds of other towns and villages nationwide.

LYMPSTONE village railway station has won a national award for its garden.

The garden, which was created and is tended by volunteers, was singled out for praise above hundreds of other towns and villages nationwide.

At the National Community Rail Awards gala dinner in Carlisle last Friday, volunteer Dawn Chapman was presented with an award as the third best station garden in the country.

Dawn, of Lympstone, was chosen to accept the award on behalf of the Friends of Lympstone Village Station because of the many hours she has spent turning a steep bramble-covered embankment into an eye-catching display of flowers and shrubs at the station entrance.

Planters on the platform are kept attractive throughout the year by Lympstone Garden Club volunteers and five village families tend small gardens created at the foot of the embankment.

Tony Day, of the friends group, said: "I think the reason we did so well, in just our second year, is down to a fantastic community effort."

Mr Day said the win was down to support from local garden centre King's and the work of groups such as the garden club, Lympstone Compost, the parish council, the Lympstone Tug of War team and other individual volunteers who had given time and effort.

The winning certificate is on show in Shear's Caf�, opposite the station.

The award ceremony was hosted by the Association of Community Rail Partnerships and attended by more than 200 people from the rail industry, local authorities and rail user groups including bosses from several train operating companies.

Awards were made in 14 categories. Best station garden winners were Lewes, in Sussex, with Drigg in Cumbria, second.