Looking for true love? Head over to the countryside

It discovered 77 per cent of adults living in rural Britain have found their soulmate - compared with 48 per cent in urban areas.

Relationships in the countryside were also found to last twice as long.

As many as 61 per cent of countryside residents had been in a relationship for more than a decade - compared with just 21 per cent of urbanites.

And 55 per cent of those living in the urban areas were married, which is 10 per cent more than urban areas.

As many as 51 per cent living in the country say the words ‘I love you' at least once a day - compared with only 23 per cent in the city.

Relationships in the country are thought to have a better chance of surviving because couples are more loyal and have more time for each other.

Couples were found to spend an average of six nights a week together - two more than those in the city. Only 10 per cent had cheated on their partner - while this went up to 20 per cent for those in cities.

In the study of 2,000 adults, by the TV channel Really, 63 per cent of country folk said they were ‘sexually satisfied' compared with just 22 per cent in the city.

City dwellers put this down to their hectic lives, with 38 per cent claiming to be too tired or stressed.

"Country living makes many of us calmer, more relaxed. It puts us in a better frame of mind which reflects well on our relationships," the Daily Mail quoted life coach Jenni Trent Hughes as saying about the findings.

"There has always been a school of thought that spending time in nature and around animals helps bring us back to our basic natures.

"Put that together with the fresh air and huddling under a blanket on the sofa to keep warm and you'll see why so many of us feel that country living is the perfect aphrodisiac," Hughes added.

The average cost of a date in the city was revealed to be 65 pounds - compared to just 31 pounds in the countryside.

A total of 34 per cent of city dwellers admitted having money was an important characteristic in a partner, while only 11 per cent of those in rural areas felt the same.