SIT BACK AND ENJOY THE VIEWS!

We were inundated with dazzling entries from all over the country when we launched our photographic contest to find Britain’s most glorious vista earlier this year. Now...

You sent us shimmering sea views and dramatic urban skylines; there were magical mountain streams and dreamy summer vistas, beautiful snow scenes and spectacular Scottish landscapes.

Indeed, the standard of entries for our photographic competition was so high that drawing up a shortlist was a challenge. But we managed to pick 30 front-runners, and that’s when we invited our four expert judges – TV presenters Ben Fogle, Julia Bradbury and John Sergeant plus professional photographer Damien Demolder – to get together to make the final decision. They chose their 12 favourite images, from which they unanimously agreed the overall winner and two runners- up, who win £1,000 and £ 500 each respectively. Now you can see these glorious photos for yourself here and on the following pages.

The competition was a project close to Ben’s heart, as he feels that anything that encourages people to photograph their surroundings is a brilliant idea. ‘For many years I’ve been so busy filming that I haven’t stopped to take my own photographs of the world around me. I look back at the past 20 years of travel all over Britain, and there are huge gaps where I haven’t got a single photograph,’ he says.

‘I have the TV films I’ve made, but you can’t sit in a pub and show them to your friends. I really regret that, and I say this as someone who started his career as picture editor of Tatler. I love photographs and I love looking at them. Now I’m making a conscious effort to remedy things, even if it’s only using my iPhone, particularly so I can show my kids what I’ve been doing while I’ve been away.’ Few people know more about the British landscape than former Countryfile presenter Julia Bradbury, whose many TV series have included Britain’s Best Walks. ‘ Looking through this selection of stunning shots reinforced just how privileged we should all feel about our natural heritage,’ she says. ‘So let’s look after it for the rest of our lives – and for the generations to come.’ Since his days as ITN’s political editor, John Sergeant has presented several TV series, including Barging Around Britain. ‘So I’m a big fan of this country, and of a contest like this, because it encourages people to enjoy the wonderful island on which we live without having to get on board a plane,’ he says. ‘And, as the entries to this competition so comprehensively demonstrated, you don’t need fancy equipment to take a fabulous photograph. A smartphone can produce thoroughly professional-looking results.’

He’s right, of course. Britain may be a relatively small island but we think you’ll agree that, on the evidence of this stunning selection, we can boast some of the best views anywhere in the world!