Stunning snapshots of Hill Life Through a Lens.

The winners of Gwent Wildlife Trust’s (GWT's) Hill Life Through a Lens photo competition have been chosen.

The competition, run by Gwent’s leading conservation charity GWT, forms part of the South East Resilient Uplands project (SEWRU) - a Sustainable Management Scheme Project funded by the Welsh Government and the European Union as part of its Rural Development Programme 2014-2020 – which aims to highlight and showcase the uplands of Gwent as glorious places to live, work and visit.

Uplands are classed as anywhere 200m above sea level in altitude and Gwent has plenty of these - Ebbw Vale and Pontypool are both classic examples of this ever-changing rugged landscape. The winning photos in Gwent Wildlife Trust’s Hill Life Through a Lens competition perfectly showcased Gwent’s vast and varied uplands.

Natalie Waller, Head of Natural Solutions at GWT and SEWRU project lead said, “Despite the pandemic restrictions delaying many people’s visits to the uplands, we’re glad that people persevered until they were able to visit and photograph our glorious Gwent uplands and take part in our Hill Life Through a Lens competition.

“Congratulations to all our winners, and for anyone who still hasn’t visited the uplands of Gwent, take a good look at these winning photos in our gallery below, as we’re sure they will inspire you and many others to visit very soon.”

Blair Jones

Mandy Jones

1st place winner of the The High life - People Living and Working in the Uplands theme was scooped by Scott Kedwood, for his photo of Highland cattle in Tredegar

Scott Kedward

Delyth Langford

Paul Joy

Anna Richards

Edyta Rice

Helen Arthur

Neil Daniels

Competition winners

The Over 16s 1st place winner in the Hillside Landscapes and Wildlife Through the Seasons theme, was taken in January this year by Blair Jones, of Pontypool, following a snow storm and just after sunrise, near the Folly Tower in Pontypool.

While 1^st place in the Over 16s Post Industrial Wilderness – When Nature Returns theme, was taken of striking Garn Lake by Mandy Jones, of Cefn Hengoed.

The 1^st place winner of the The High life - People Living and Working in the Uplands theme was scooped by Scott Kedwood, for his photo of beautiful highland cattle, which are farmed on the upland above Tredegar’s St. James’ reservoir.

The Under 16s winning photograph came courtesy of Delyth Langford aged nine, of Ebbw Vale, and was cleverly taken looking in the direction of Llangynidr mountain and into the Gwent uplands.

The mobile phone category winner in the Hillside Landscapes and Wildlife Through the Seasons theme was taken by Paul Joy of Cwmbran, for his photo just above the footpath to the Punchbowl on the lower slopes of the Blorenge.

While the mobile phone category winner for the Post-Industrial – when Nature Return theme was taken by Anna Richards at Graig Ddu, Garndiffaith.

Runners-up in the Over 16s Hillside Landscapes and Wildlife Through the Seasons theme were: Edyta Rice 2^nd, 3^rdHelen Arthur and 4^th place Neil Daniels.

Prizes and thanks!

Hill Life Through a Lens photo competition prizes for the winners came courtesy of Gwent Wildlife Trust and included gift vouchers, bags, as well as Britain's Habitats reference books donated by Princeton University Press.

Other prizes included rucksacks, an action camera and prints of winning entries all generously donated by Shackleton Photographic and Imaging of Abergavenny.

Richard Turner of Shackleton said: “Being a family owned company we are really happy to be able to support the Gwent Wildlife Trust with their recent photography competition. We are so pleased to see so many people getting out into the countryside and taking an interest in our surrounding nature and wildlife and recording these memories via photography which has always been a big part of our business.”

Where else you can see the winners and competition entries

Shackleton has also created a gallery of winning entries from GWT’s Hill Life Through a Lens photo competition in their shop window, which is available to view until September 6, 2021.

And all entries to the Hill Life Through a Lens photo competition will also be used as part of the overall South East Wales Resilient Uplands project.

This project has received funding through the Welsh Government Rural Communities - Rural Development Programme 2014-2020, which is funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the Welsh Government.