UK’s most ‘soul-destroying’ towns that are ‘bland, boring and mediocre’ revealed – is your region on the shortlist?
BLIGHTY might have some of the prettiest towns in the world in places like the Cotswolds and the Lake District.
But, it also has its fair share of some of the most depressing towns this side of Timbuktu.
One poll, run by ilivehere.co.uk, has put that question to the public and asked which towns are the “Bland, Boring, Soul destroying mediocrity with a gaping cultural void.”
The poll is back for 2024 after declaring Luton was the UK’s most depressing town in 2023.
An intro to the poll reads: “This year we are ditching the usual suspects to focus on those towns throughout this septic isle that give you an almost-terminal case of ennui.
“The towns where you just exist rather than live.”
For the first time, the list also includes Scotland and Wales.
UK's most depressing towns
- Peterborough – 4.83%
- Medehamstede – 4.76%
- Aberdeen – 4.41%
- Paignton – 3.92%
- Swindon – 3.29%
- Ealing Mead – 2.31%
- Yeovil – 2.17%
- Tiverton – 1.82%
- Basingstoke – 1.75%
- Wells (Somerset) – 1.61%
- Torquay – 1.54%
- Crawley – 1.54%
- Bradford – 1.47%
- Plymouth – 1.47%
- Portsmouth – 1.33%
- Blackpool – 1.19%
- Reading – 1.05%
- Chatham – 1.05%
- Macclesfield – 1.05%
- Ilfracombe 1.05%
Percentages are accurate as of 10/1.
There appears to be several types of towns that folks think are depressing: commuter towns, seaside towns, and ex-industrial towns.
The top five towns on the live poll currently are: Peterborough, Medehamstede, Aberdeen, Paignton, and Swindon.
Peterborough, the cathedral city in Cambridgeshire, is home to 220,000 people who might not be happy with that result.
It has just been ranked Britain’s unhealthiest place to live after analysis of Office for National Statistics data.
Measured on 12 distinct criteria – including adult smoking rates, alcohol misuse, and prevalence of cancer, it scored a miserable 40 out of 100.
Those with strong thoughts about one town are also able to submit that town for contention.
While the percentages voting for each town are small, the poll doesn’t reveal how many people have voted and it remains live.
The 2023 edition saw 105,000 readers vote – and that poll resulted in a similar ranking of depressing towns.
The 2023 edition saw Luton, Peterborough, and Portsmouth take out the top three positions.
Slough and Aylesbury won fourth and fifth place.
Meanwhile, residents of Melton in Leicestershire have a claim to living in the UK’s worst town.
Melton ranked last in a poll of 393 local authorities focussing on quality of life.
But the people living there say there’s more to the town than meets the eye.
One resident admitted that Melton town centre leaves a lot to be desired, as well as traffic levels and low availability of GPs.
But they also pointed to the town’s proximity to major hubs like Leicester, as well as its famous pork pies.