It's official - Dorset is the best county in England (well, you knew that)
Dorset is beautiful wherever you go, sang The Wurzels, and while we all know that we live in such a fantastic part of the world which we love to show off, that has now been confirmed in a survey which ranks Dorset as the most popular county in England.
YouGov Profiles data on the opinions of more than 42,000 people towards 47 English counties reveals that Dorset and Devon top the popularity charts, with 92 per cent saying that they like each of the counties.
The south west is actually home to four of the top five – Cornwall places 3rd at 91 per cent and Somerset 5th at 86 per cent. The only county outside the region to make the top five list is North Yorkshire, in 4th place at 87 per cent.
York is Britain’s most liked city, followed by Bath, Edinburgh, Chester and Durham.
Dorset's popularity rating comes after it was revealed it is officially the most photogenic county, appearing on Instagram 98,070 times throughout 2017.
News that Dorset is best is no surprise to political figures and civic leaders.
Mayor of Weymouth and Portland Cllr Gill Taylor said: “Of course it’s the best county, we all know it’s the best.
“We know it’s a wonderful place; it’s so nice it’s finally being acknowledged.
“Local people can be very critical of it, but my experience this year as mayor is that people visiting and the vast majority of people think it’s a lovely place and love living here as well.”
South Dorset MP Richard Drax said: “I am not surprised, because Dorset has not only got a stunning countryside and coastline, but is made up of a remarkable mix of people who contribute hugely to the county – all of which makes it a very attractive place to live in.”
His West Dorset counterpart, Sir Oliver Letwin said: “I am glad to see that the truth about Dorset has now been generally acknowledged.
"We should never take for granted the wonderful place we live in.”
Source: Dorset Echo