ONE of Britain's happiest views is said to be right here in Dorset.

A SURVEY by hotel chain Best Western Great Britain has found that Brownsea Island has the country's fifth happiest view. A view of the island was chosen by 17 per cent of respondents as the happiest view but had only been visited by 11 per cent of respondents.

The survey asked 2,000 Brits to choose their top five views which most make them smile, before exploring how well these correlate with the locations they’ve actually visited.

Broadsands beach in Devon, with its magical wilderness of caves, tunnels and islands, came out on top as the nation’s happiest view, with over a quarter (27%) naming it in their top five. The 17th century Iffley Lock on the River Thames came second, ahead of the tumbling waterfalls of St Nectan’s Glen in Cornwall.

The happiest view in Great Britain has been revealed and it appears to be a bit of a hidden gem. The picturesque Broadsands beach on Devon’s Exmoor coast has been voted the scene that fills Brits with the most joy, but the study, conducted by Best Western Great Britain, found that less than one in ten (8%) have ever seen it in person.

The famous Shambles in York, often labelled the UK’s most picturesque street, was by far the most visited of the happy views, with nearly a third (31%) of Brits having wandered down its medieval cobbles.