News / County voted UK's most beautiful
County voted UK's most beautiful
Its people have always known it but North Yorkshire is now officially the most beautiful county in England.
Its mixture of towering cliffs, sweeping dales, chocolate box villages, and stately homes meant it took the coveted title of Garden of England from Kent.
That was the verdict of 4,000 people polled on a shortlist of counties drawn up by a panel of TV gardeners including Tommy Walsh, Chris Collins and Charlie Dimmock. More than three-quarters of those polled highlighted the beauty of North Yorkshire countryside - well ahead of Devon its nearest rival on 21.7%.
The variety of scenery, the amount of open space, the lack of litter and the number and quality of stately homes like Castle Howard and Newby Hall were also considered plus points. The chief executive of the Yorkshire Tourist Board, David Andrews, said: "It isn't really fair to compare other areas with North Yorkshire."
"We have the most beautiful countryside in Britain. Around 1,000 square kilometres is national park, and coastal Yorkshire is dotted with gorgeous fishing villages and huge sweeps of unbroken beaches as well as the highest cliffs on the east coast." "And thanks to its political importance over two millennia, as the key to the North, it's got more stately homes then anywhere in Britain."
Source: Yorkshire Post, James Reed, Thursday June 1st 2006
