THE leafy borough of Waverley has been named the sixth happiest place in England, according to a new study commissioned by Royal Mail.

As the UK’s pre-eminent delivery company posting mail to around 30 million addresses six days a week, Royal Mail is well placed to identify the regional differences across England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales.

The findings are based on an index composed of eight measures relevant to happiness.

Nearby Winchester tops the list for the happiest place in England and the UK overall, largely driven by the local authority’s high earnings, a high reported sense of well-being from residents and low levels of deprivation.

Babergh, Rushcliffe, Chiltern and Ribble Valley complete the England top five, followed closely by Waverley in sixth; encompassing Farnham, Haslemere, Godalming and all villages in between.

East Renfrewshire was named the happiest region in Scotland, Monmouthshire in Wales, and Lisburn and Castlereagh in Northern Ireland.