THE DALES Way at Ilkley has been judged as one of Britain’s top ten “happiest views.”

The accolade for the beautiful stretch of the well-known walk has been given following a poll conducted by hotel group Best Western Great Britain.

More that 2,000 people were surveyed to find their favourite views. Two of the top ten are from Yorkshire - including the Ilkley view and the Shambles in York, often labelled the UK’s most picturesque street.

Broadsands beach on Devon’s Exmoor coast has been voted the scene that fills people with the most joy, but the study found that less than one in ten of those taking part had ever seen it in person.

The survey asked 2,000 people 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, with its magical wilderness of caves, tunnels and islands, came out on top as the nation’s happiest view, with 27 per cent 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 Dales Way at Ilkley came eighth in the survey after being chosen by 15 per cent.

Results showed that the majority of people are yet to visit the most loved scenes in the country, with seven out of the top ten happiest locations having been ticked off by less than 10 per cent of respondents.

Rob Paterson, CEO at Best Western Great Britain, said:

“Our survey highlights some of the best of British places guaranteed to put a smile on people’s faces, perfect for day trippers or holiday makers planning to make the most of the summer over the next few months.”

The Dales Way runs for 80 miles, stretching from Ilkley to Bowness-on-Windermere in Cumbria. It take walkers through the heart of the Yorkshire Dales National Park and the foothills of southern Lakeland.