BRITAIN may have some of the most beautiful 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 and cities this side of Timbuktu.
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Swindon is currently ranked fifth in a survey of Britain’s most depressing townsCredit: Alamy
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Chatham in Kent makes the top 20 Credit: Gary Stone
One poll, conducted by ilivehere.co.uk, put that question to the public – asking which places are home to “bland, boring, soul-destroying mediocrity with a gaping cultural void”.
The survey returns for 2024 after Luton was named the most depressed city in the UK in 2023.
The poll’s introduction reads: “This year, we’re ditching the usual suspects to focus on those cities across this septic island that give you an almost terminal case of boredom.
“Cities where you only exist, not live.
“From travelers’ lodges that close at 10pm in the Home Counties to resorts that are ghost towns in the winter, this survey is about them.”
Scotland and Wales are also on the list for the first time.
The most depressed cities in Great Britain
- 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%
The odds are correct from 10/1.
There seem to be several types of cities that people think are depressed: commuter cities, coastal cities, and former industrial cities.
The top five in the live poll are currently: Peterborough, Medehamstede, Aberdeen, Paignton and Swindon.
Peterborough, the cathedral city in Cambridgeshire, is home to 220,000 people who may not be happy with the result.
It has also just been ranked as the unhealthiest place to live in Britain after analyzing data from the Office for National Statistics.
Measured against 12 different criteria – including adult smoking rates, alcohol abuse and cancer prevalence – it scored a miserable 40 out of 100.
Although the voting percentages for each city are small, the poll does not reveal how many people voted and remains live.
105,000 readers voted for the 2023 edition – and that poll resulted in a similar ranking of depressed cities.
In the 2023 edition, Luton, Peterborough and Portsmouth took the top three spots.
Slough and Aylesbury took fourth and fifth place.
Meanwhile, residents of Melton in Leicestershire claim they live in the worst town in the UK.
Melton recently came last in a survey of 393 local authorities which focused on quality of life.
But people who live there say there’s more to the city than meets the eye.
One resident admitted that Melton town center leaves a lot to be desired, including the level of traffic and poor availability of GPs.
But they also pointed to the city’s proximity to major hubs like Leicester, as well as its famous pork pies.
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Peterborough, number one on the list, has also just been named the unhealthiest place to live in BritainCredit: Alamy
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For the first time, the list also includes Scotland and Wales – with Aberdeen in third place Credit: Alamy
Categories: Optical Illusion
Source: HIS Education