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Watts Gallery tops poll
Watts Gallery in Guildford voted pick of the poll in the South East
Nearly 37,000 residents vote online for 'Pride of Place'
Watts Gallery in Guildford is the place which makes residents feel most proud in the South East of England according to an online poll.
Seven local authorities across the South East took part in the Connect to your Council Pride of Place poll by inviting visitors to click and vote for one of ten locally-nominated top spots on their websites. More than 36,800 people in England went online to vote for their favourite place in this first national council-led poll.
Watts Gallery houses the studio collection of the eminent Victorian painter and sculptor G F Watts and is described as 'the only purpose built art gallery in Britain to show a single artist's collection'.
In the overall poll, Marwell Zoo and The New Forest, which are both in Hampshire, came second and third respectively. Marwell Zoo is home to over 200 species of rare and wonderful animals including tigers, snow leopards, rhino, hippo, giraffe and zebra. The beauty of the New Forest derives from its unique natural and cultural heritage. It has survived as a unique medieval landscape and is a place of fascination and peace to millions of visitors.