A village which bought its own castle and has built up links between its teenagers and senior citizens has been named Shropshire Village of the Year.

Whittington was crowned the best village in the county at a celebration event this weekend.

It will now go through to the regional final and, if successful, could find itself in the running for the UK title.

Villagers had to show judges that they worked together as a community.

Gill Roberts, from the Community Council of Shropshire, which runs the competition with sponsor Calor Gas, said Whittington – a runner up in previous years – was the clear winner.

Of the eight nominations there was not another that stood out for a runner-up spot.

“Judges felt that the community of Whittington really worked together,” she said.

“Whittington has the castle, which residents run as a community venture, but there are also many other initiatives with all sections of the community involved.”

Links between different sections of the community include the youth group which meets in the senior citizens hall.

Recently the group was able to get funding to better equip the hall, including new flooring.

Julie Ruler, from the group, said the village’s young people appreciated the support provided to them by the community and enjoyed working with other groups in the area.

The village primary school has strong links with the parish church and even the bowling club and cricket club share the same ground and pavilion.

Councillor Steve Charmley, who is involved with the nearby rugby club, said: “Whittington is certainly a village with a big heart and that is demonstrated by how many groups and clubs there are and the fact that so many people are involved in the community.”

Villagers stepped in to save their medieval castle from the developers after it was feared homes could be built in its grounds.

The castle preservation trust took out a long lease on the 900-year old building and now runs it as a tourist and education centre, holding a feast of events from holiday clubs for youngsters to overnight stops for ghosthunters.

It has also become a popular marriage venue for people from across the country.

Castle manager Sue Ellis said: “We are thrilled that Whittington has won Village of the Year.

“Whittington’s unique selling point is its castle which we think is the only community-owned castle in the country. We try to foster the view that it is a friendly castle and we run it mainly through volunteers keeping it in the community.”

Volunteers spent yesterday cleaning out a weir that joins two moats at the castle to help improve the water flow.