Above one of the Tors on Dartmoor.
A NEW survey of the merits of England's counties has put Devon way ahead at the top.The county was voted by far the best for its quality of life and natural beauty.
At the other end of the scale was Staffordshire, which was described as "poor and blighted".
Devon also beat the rest for the standard of its schools, pubs, weather and council services.The survey, by Country Life magazine, rated Devon as 72 out of 100 points across 14 categories.
The county scored 10 out of 10 for landscape value and 9 out of 10 for "tranquillity".
It was also given maximum points for its outstanding pubs and the quality of its National Trust sites.
The nearest rivals were Gloucestershire, Cornwall and Dorset - all well down the field on 64 and 63 points.The worst two counties in England were reckoned to be Staffordshire and Hertfordshire, which scored only 30 points each.
Country Life compiled its survey using statistics from local government, countryside organisations, the Land Registry, the Met Office and even the Good Pub Guide.
The magazine said: "Anyone who knows Devon could have guessed it would do well in this contest."Even so, no one could possibly have predicted the county would rub its rivals' faces so deeply in the mud."
The report threw up two major surprises.
Cornwall is well known as the poorest county in England - yet finished joint second.
While Northamptonshire - traditionally a heartland for the hunting and shooting set - was ranked fourth worst.
England's top five counties:
1) Devon
2) Gloucestershire
3) Cornwall
4) Dorset
5) Cumbria
England's worst five counties:
1) Staffordshire
2) Hertfordshire
3) Nottinghamshire
4) Northamptonshire
5) Bedfordshire
I have a very good friend who goes up to Keele every other week as work takes him there...and he says the same thing...... Looks pretty good here
LoL!!!!
