An innovative community veg patch in one of the highest villages in the region has won a national award.

In an incredible demonstration of grassroots dedication and green-fingered tenacity, the Princetown Community Garden, affectionately known as ‘The Plot,’ has achieved spectacular national recognition, culminating in a dazzling awards appearance on BBC One's flagship program, The One Show.

The Princetown produce garden has been presented with the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Growing Together Award for community gardening.

The pioneering ‘plotters’ have been recognised for transforming a piece of virgin grassy, rocky moorland into a productive fruit and veg patch in less than a year.

Not only has this horticultural achievement been recognised but also praised for improving residents’ wellbeing through exercise, forming friendships and pride in their surroundings.

Julie Jowett, RHS senior community outreach advisor, said: “Community gardening transforms lives and landscapes. Each of the amazing entries shows how it connects people, boosts wellbeing and revitalises neglected spaces. This special award in partnership with BBC The One Show celebrates the incredible impact of communities coming together to grow.”

Hazel Williams, a founding plotter, said: “We are immensely proud and delighted to be awarded this title. The Plot is a project run by Dartmoor Forest Parish Council for the benefit of the community.”

This burgeoning local sanctuary triumphed over 83 entrants to secure a top three spot in the finalists of the prestigious RHS Community Garden of the Year competition.

The judges said: “The Plot’s journey is a truly inspirational tale of communal hard work and vision. A disused, densely overgrown area, gifted by Princetown Youth Club, has been miraculously transformed into a vibrant, productive haven.”

Through countless hours of painstaking digging and vigorous mattocking (cultivating stumps to nourish new plants) by enthusiastic volunteers of all abilities, 16 beds were created.

The gardeners tackled the challenges of the harsh Princetown climate with clever, experimental methods. They are trialling specialist beds using decaying wood to retain moisture, protective ‘dead hedges’, ‘no-dig’ beds, a wildflower garden, rotational composting and a sensory garden.

Hazel said: “The team has found the whole process a thrilling, yet steep, local learning curve. We have discovered which hardy crops can withstand the famous Dartmoor winds and frequent rainfall.”

The judges said vibrant root vegetables and resilient leafy greens proved ‘dedication truly blossoms, even in the most challenging environments’.

The plot thrives thanks to the wider community with saplings from the Woodland Trust, manure from stock owners, and numerous seeds and seedlings lovingly provided by residents. Village cafés supplied coffee grounds and eggshells as slug repellent and Dartmoor Prison contributed picnic tables made by inmates.

Funding was from Princetown Charity Shop and South West Water (SWW). SWW provided large water butts to recycle rainwater collected from the youth club centre gutters. Princetown Pre-School has its own planting bed, while a creative slate-painting competition was held to denote local tor names to beds.

The garden’s bountiful fresh, surplus produce is donated to the Princetown Food Hub, while landlord the Duchy of Cornwall ensures fencing keeps out Dartmoor's wandering cattle, sheep, and ponies, and only charges a peppercorn rent.