A Wharfedale village will take on three towns and a village in Northern Ireland in its debut bid for national Britain in Bloom glory.

Addingham was selected from more than 1,000 entries to take part in the 2012 Royal Horticultural Social Britain in Bloom finals this summer.

The village has been recognised in the Yorkshire in Bloom competition several times, but has never competed in the national contest. Its rivals in the “small town” section include Sedgefield in County Durham, Woodstock in Oxfordshire, Dorset market town Wimbourne and Ahoghill in County Antrim.

Addingham Garden Friends chairman Graham Bacon said: “We have our own particular flavour. We’ve been doing our own thing, really, certainly for the last ten years, and gradually we’ve built up a base that we feel fairly confident about. We’re less concerned about the competition than doing things for Addingham itself.”