Portland residents are rightly proud of the unique geography of the island, and the superb views that many of their homes offer of the seascapes and coastal views that surround on all sides.

And new research suggests that these sea-views may be among the country's most affordable.

The study, carried out among properties of less than £1 million in seaside towns around the country, found that the premium for a sea-view on Portland was one of the lowest anywhere - standing at a difference of just one per cent between the average price of a property with a view of the sea, and the average price of one without.

The averages were found to be, respectively, £206,800 and £204,100 - making a premium of just £2,700 on average, and also representing some of the most affordable seaside property costs in the country.

This stands in stark contrast to other parts of Dorset; the sea-view premium in Bournemouth was one of the five highest in the country, at 35 per cent, while Poole came near the top of the list for seaside property values, at an average of more than £450,000 for a sea-view home and a sea-view premium of around 24 per cent.

The average premium in seaside towns around the country, meanwhile, was £68,000 - more than 20 times that on Portland.

Property website Rightmove, which conducted the research, said 'sea-view' was among the most popular search terms on its website.

Director Miles Shipside argued that said such vistas should be highlighted in photographs when seaside homes are advertised 'so a prospective buyer can see just how great the views are before they book an appointment'.

Mr Shipside also noted that seaside properties ranged greatly in value, with some on sale for just £150,000 and others - in areas like Sandbanks in Poole - valued in the many millions of pounds.

Meanwhile, Portland Mayor Charlie Flack cast doubt on the validity of the research.

"Given that Portland has many areas of deprivation and a high benefit ratio, affordability is beyond the reach of many of the island's population," Cllr Flack argued.

"There are also many areas of social housing which command sea views, so I would question the validity of the study."

The mayor added that current market values were 'way beyond the reach' of many trying to get on the property ladder.

"Developments such as Atlantic House with its sea views in Castletown command significant costs, not only to buy but also to rent," he said.

"The site of the Underhill Cliff school which is currently under development is [also] likely to be at the top end of the market price range, given the sea views they will afford."