A CHILLATON photographer has been named the winner of Taylor Wimpey's 'Tavistock Through A Lens' photography competition at a special event held at the housebuilder's Manor Oaks development.

The event, held to unveil an exhibition showcasing the finalist images, saw retiree Les Bennett's stunning image of Tavistock's Abbey Chapel's ruins win the judges over with its impressive lighting. The photograph's dramatic landscape boundary and the buildings encompassed within the image helped Les bag the top prize of £500 worth of Jessops vouchers.

In second place, Graham Woollven, of Horrabridge, won £100 worth of Jessops vouchers for his atmospheric shot of Tavistock's Old Bridge, showing the natural beauty of the River Tavy.

Third place went to Adam Ewings, of Tavistock, who was awarded £50 Jessops vouchers for his peaceful winter scene showing Brentor Church overlooking the Walkham Valley.

Janine Davey, regional sales and marketing director for Taylor Wimpey Exeter, said: 'We were delighted by the number of entries received and the success of this competition has proven how passionate people in Tavistock are about the town.

'We look forward to welcoming any visitors to Manor Oaks keen to see the photos for themselves and hope that all Tavistock residents enjoy seeing what their neighbours love best about the town.'

The finalist images, including the three winners, will be on display at the Manor Oaks development in Tavistock over the summer.

The competition asked Tavistock's residents to arm themselves with a camera, explore the town and stunning surroundings outside their front door and capture the best of the area on film.

Having received a number of entries, Taylor Wimpey spent days narrowing the competition down to the finalists before selecting three deserving winners.

Les, who was delighted with his win, said: 'I chose to enter my shot of the Abbey Chapel's ruins because they are the oldest surviving ruins in Tavistock and perfectly showcase not just the town's beauty but also all the historic attractions that Tavistock has to offer.'

The winners are pictured at the awards ceremony at the Manor Oaks development.

Picture by James Bird