Welcome to Moulton: Northamptonshire's village of the year 2018

The picturesque area just north of Northampton was awarded first place in the 2018 Northamptonshire Best Village Competition at a ceremony at the Hunsbury Hill Centre.

With its three pubs, three churches, a theatre, a local magazine and a brand new community centre used all week long, the home to around 3,500 people beat Weedon Bec into second place.

Rural officer for the competition judges Northamptonshire ACRE, Rebecca Breakwell, said Moulton was a worthy winner of the £1,000 prize.

"The village is an excellent example of a community working together to benefit all it’s residents," she said.

"We hope to see more villages enter in 2019 particularly from the north of the county, which seems to be under represented.”

Executive officer for Moulton Parish Council Jane Austin said she was thrilled with the win - in only the second time the village has entered the competition.

"For us it's a recognition of the community spirit that exists in Moulton," said Mrs Austin.

"We have a great sense of place and a sense of belonging here.

"As we have grown we have managed to retain that.

"We have a very proactive council that is forward thinking and we have got the new community centre, which is booming."

Two years ago, Moulton Parish Council successfully applied to the Public Works Loans Board to build a new community centre.

Having launched a year ago, the £2.65 million building is home to a pre-school and its main hall and rooms can be booked seven days a week.

And one thing that particularly impressed the competition judges was how all new families moving to Moulton are sent a welcome pack detailing local groups in the area, important numbers to call and places of interest.

"If you are moving into a new area, even understanding what to do when your dustbin is collected can be difficult.

"The pack really has a wealth of information about all sorts of stuff."

For more information about Moulton Community Centre, head to the centre website here