A PICTURESQUE Ribble Valley hamlet dubbed Brigadoon by admirers has come out tops in the Lancashire Best Kept Village Competition for the second year running.

Harrop Fold won the hamlet section, heading a list of honours for the Ribble Valley, which was again the most successful area of East Lancashire in the prestigious annual awards.

Harrop Fold parish clerk Norman Kelly said: "We are delighted. Residents are to be congratulated for maintaining their properties."

The hamlet is a hidden jewel on the road from Grindleton to the Trough of Bowland, inviting comparisons with Brigadoon - a magical village, invisible to the outside world, which came awake for one day every hundred years in the hit musical of the same name.

It is one of 32 prizes won by Ribble Valley villages in the competition, which has been running for nearly 50 years.

West Bradford, near Clitheroe, won the small village section and was highly commended in both the village hall and playing fields sections.

In the hamlet section, Bashall Eaves, near Clitheroe, and Walker Fold, near Chipping, were both highly commended.

St Peter and St Paul RC Church, Ribchester, won the place of worship section, and Robinson's Butchers in Chipping was named best shop.

Chipping's two schools, St Mary's RC and Brabin's Endowed, were also highly commended in the best school section.

Waddington won two sections: best sheltered accommodation for its Hospital Cottages, and best special feature for its Coronation Gardens.

Hurst Green was also a double winner, with its Avenue Road toilets being named best public convenience and Memorial Hall best bowling green and surrounds.

Grindleton's two pubs, the Buck Inn and the Duke of York, were highly commended and the parish council noticeboard was top in its section.

There were nearly 100 entries for the competition, sponsored this year by Lancashire County Council and Lancashire Tourism Partnership. Judges said the standard was very high.

The winners were chosen by Professor John Moveley, principal of Myerscough agricultural college, who said: "What an enjoyable experience it was to get out of the office and into parts of Lancashire that were new to me."

There were only two East Lancashire winners from outside Ribble Valley. Higham, near Burnley, was highly commended in the large village class and the Pendle Valley Caravan Park in Roughlee was highly commended in the caravan class.

Competition chairman Thirza Ainsworth added: "We have tried to get more villages in East Lancashire to enter, but it's mainly down to getting the parish clerks interested. We are doing our best to expand the competition into areas that are under-represented."