The Milky Way shot over the ruins at Midhurst wins the South Downs competition

Captured by Richard Murray of Waterlooville, Hampshire, the image captures the nighttime scene at the Cowdray ruins in Midhurst and won the top prize in the South Downs National Park Astrophotography Competition, which saw 60 entries.

In September 1793, while it was being repaired and refurbished for the forthcoming wedding of the 8th Viscount Montague, a devastating fire destroyed most of the estate and left the remaining ruins.

The competition celebrates the national park’s status as one of only 20 International Dark Sky Reserves in the world, recognizing the region as one of the world’s best places for stargazing.

South Downs Head Ranger Dan Oakley said of the winning image: “It’s such a well framed picture and shows what the landscape would have been like a couple of centuries ago.

“It’s a great little chocolate box photo of the South Downs.”

Mr Murray, who won a £100 prize, said: “We were blessed with crystal clear skies and I was lucky enough to get this shot of the Milky Way rising from behind the ruins of Cowdray.

“It shows that you don’t have to travel too far from the city to enjoy the spectacular dark skies that the South Downs National Park has to offer.

“The National Park has such a wide variety of beautiful landscapes and buildings to photograph and is truly a special part of the UK both day and night.”

Beachy Head Moonrise by Andrew Parker (Image: Andrew Parker / PA)

Second in the main category was a shot of the moonrise behind the lighthouse at Beachy Head, near Eastbourne, taken by Andrew Parker, which won a £75 prize.

Mr Parker, who lives in south-east London, said: “Although I have traveled across the country to pursue my hobby of landscape and astrophotography, I still travel to the South Downs more often than most other places. The skies around Birling Gap are amazing.”

The jury was also impressed by a photo of a toad crossing a road near Cuckmere Haven by Eastbourne’s Peter Brooks.

The picture won the South Downs Nature at Night category and Mr Brooks received a prize of £100.

Toad on the Road by Peter Brooks (Image: Peter Brooks / PA)

Mr Oakley said: “I like this picture because it’s a little bit different. It encapsulates the theme of ‘nature at night’ and underscores the fragility of nature.”

Mr Brooks said: “I took this particular image to highlight the dangers toads face when migrating back to their breeding ponds.”