POCKLINGTON Canal has gained a Green Flag Award, highlighting the 200-year-old waterway it as one of the country’s most attractive open spaces.

Cared for by waterways and wellbeing charity Canal & River Trust, the nine-and-a-half canal is known and enjoyed locally as a rural spot for boaters, walkers and wildlife spotters.

Judges were impressed by how well maintained the canal and its structures are and commended the partnership working between the Trust and Pocklington Canal Amenity Society and various other groups which has seen many successful restoration projects over recent years.

They also highlighted the ecological management of the canal as a Site of Special Scientific Interest, which means the whole stretch is very rich in wildlife such as kingfishers, bank voles and all sorts of invertebrates.

Pocklington Canal joins 12 other Canal & River Trust sites to be recognised in the scheme, which is run by Keep Britain Tidy.