NORTHWICH’S Marbury Country Park has been crowned among the best-kept urban parks in the UK, according to a new study.

The study from DTW Tools, which analysed Trip Advisor data from 100 of the UK’s biggest parks, found Marbury Country Park to have the fourth most mentions of keyword terms associated with cleanliness and landscaping.

The park received 309 reviews, 17 per cent of which used words associated with cleanliness such as ‘well maintained’, ‘unspoiled’, ‘tidy’ and ‘clean’.

Only three per cent of reviews included words with negative connotations, such as ‘litter’, ‘mess’, and ‘untidy’.

A spokesperson for DTW Tools said: “During the pandemic, we gained a newfound appreciation for our parks and gardens, with many of us relying on the great outdoors to alleviate anxiety, depression and low moods.

“Unfortunately, a number of green spaces in the UK have now fallen into disrepair, with litter strewn across yellowing lawns, polluted ponds and graffitied buildings. 

“Last week, the Government published an updated Litter Strategy for England, detailing the importance of engaging communities in caring for our green spaces.

“With this in mind, researchers at DTW Tools decided to highlight our ‘hero’ parks. 

“We analysed thousands of Trip Advisor reviews across 100 of the UK’s biggest urban parks and gardens, tallying the number of mentions of positive keyword terms such as ‘well-maintained’, ‘unspoiled’, ‘tidy’ and ‘clean’.

“We also recorded the number of mentions of keywords with negative connotations, such as ‘litter’, ‘mess’ and ‘untidy’.”