Ever wondered which place is the worst to live in the UK? Many factors can constitute a suitable living environment in this country of over 67 million people. Some of the most important ones may include a clean and hygienic environment.
A place that people consider safe for their families, especially children. A place with all the basic amenities, like drinkable water, electricity, and other resources.
Some other factors to consider while choosing a living are average household income, housing, and rental prices, unemployment rates, and the cost of basic household necessities such as food and electricity. Moreover, entertainment is an essential aspect of human life. Shopping places, pubs and bars, movie theatres, sports centres, and other such places are like cherry on top of a living area. But if we look at today’s UK, we see some of these aspects slowly going amiss in some geographies.
As per an article by BBC, the UK is facing its most significant drop in living standards since 1956. The rising inflation rate coupled with lowering employment has created a massive ripple effect that reaches even the most economically sound geographies of Britain. The result is usually deterioration of living conditions around certain areas, towns, or parts of cities.
According to sources, more than 110,172 people have voted and contributed to completing this list. Most of the towns mentioned in the list lack multiple basic necessities.
Here at Talk Home, we’ll identify the UK’s top 10 worst places to live.
Table of Contents
10 Worst Places to live in the UK
10. Bradford
The 3rd most significant town in Yorkshire, Bradford, holds the 10th spot on this list. One of the contributors described it as “The land of dreams if you dream of takeaways and pound shops.” And “Yorkshire’s very own heart of darkness.”
Contributors didn’t hold any punches when describing Bradford. One of them stated: “Want the best deals? Come to Bradford. Buy-one, get-one-free chicken and chips, a stolen PS4 from some Slovakian at Foster Square. Some cheap deodorants from the local junkie desperate for his next fix.”
Another added that “this city has more flashy cars than any other. Drug crime is so prevalent it has become a part of daily life. In short, this town makes Detroit look nice”.
Guess that paints a picture of what you can expect from life in Bradford.
9. Slough
Making its debut in the list, Slough holds the 9th spot. Here’s what a contributor had to say about this place, “I have seen it slide from a town of some limited qualities to the toilet of Berkshire within the last five years.” The town had some excellent bars, a live music scene, sports, and retail centres in 1992. It has now been reduced to “shops that sell that for a pound, tonnes of unhealthy eateries catering to losers who eat “as much as you can,” where quantity is preferred to quality.”.
No doubt people are not happy with the place. Another contributor added, “The streets are littered by empty takeout containers, beer cans, and other trash. Most won’t recognize a bin even if it has a neon sign”.
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8. Jaywick
The only town holding its position year by year is Jaywick. It holds fast to the 8th spot it had on last year’s list. It’s a seaside town with great beaches, but not so great cleaning. One contributor explained the situation:” You will find plenty of beer cans, cigarette but, and other trash buried inside the golden sand.”
Another issue with this town is the excess of drugs. A resident stated,” The people unfortunate enough to reside in one of the ramshackle huts that line its streets either come from East London or prison. Drugs have dragged this city to its knees.”
Jaywick’s Brooklands was officially listed as the most deprived area in the country for the third time in 2020.
7. Corby
Corby holds the 7th spot in this not-so-pleasing list of towns across the UK. It is, to say the least, that people are not particularly happy with this place. As described by a resident,” Welcome to Hell was written on one of the walls by an unknown graffiti artist, and he was right.” The once cool town started turning into a mess right after a steelwork responsible for the employment of most of the town’s population was closed. As the unemployment rose, more unfortunate households started appearing across the community. This multiplied many times over to create what is known as today’s Corby.
One of the residents described the town as,” Corby is an idiot’s heaven, the most fabulous shops known to humankind: Poundland, Argos, fish and chip shops and don’t forget the kebabs. Shops fit for a King.”
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6. Bolton
Bolton didn’t just get to the list; it climbed 22 spots from last year’s list. Now that it holds the 6th position, one of the contributors describes it; “This city can be dubbed as the worst assault possible on the eye & mind in whole of Britain.”
If you’re wondering about Bolton’s most significant issue, one of the residents gives us a clue,” Most takeaways get ONE star at best, for hygiene.” People are not too happy with each other either. One resident said, “You actually feel more stupid when you are around someone living in the area.”
5. Peterborough
For the last three years, Peterborough had the throne. It was at the number 1 spot on this list of worst places in the UK, but sadly, the throne has been taken away by a new winner. Here’s how one of the residents describes this town; “The ambiance and the environment in this city get to your head. You feel separated from everything else in the world”.
Another contributor described life in Peterborough; “Remember one thing, if you’re booking a weekend getaway in this town, it is a custom to shout “WHAT??” if a stranger holds eye contact with you for more than 3 seconds, & be very aggressive while saying it.”
Homelessness, drugs, expensive housing, low income, and terrible transport infrastructure are some of the issues faced by Peterborough.
4. Liverpool
Just barely coming short of the 3rd spot this year is Liverpool. One of the contributors had this to say about Liverpool, “The first exam is passed if you can get over the accent and the large volumes of phlegm that fly around whenever the locals pronounce a word with the letters “c” or “k” in them. Never discuss ceramics or Krakow, Poland, with a Scouser; you will almost certainly get soaked.”
Another added, “I can’t express how horrible growing up in this awful environment has been. People want to undermine you and your uniqueness because they are afraid of those who have IQs greater than one and who don’t wear the newest black tracksuit”.
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3. Luton
Luton gets the bronze medal. This town allegedly has a lot to contribute toward a miserable life. One of the contributors said, ” I’m not exactly suggesting Luton is safe; only a few months ago, I witnessed approximately 30 kids slapping each other in the face outside of a McDonald’s. It was difficult for me to tell the difference between blood and ketchup”. Another one stated, ” Slough is analogous to Monaco’s playboy tax haven since the town is not attractive, to say the least.”
It seems the most significant problem here is crime and drugs. One of the residents said, ” Not joking, I witnessed police breaking through a drug den’s door with a battering ram during a home invasion. Although I wouldn’t mind, it was just before 8 am. You can picture what it was like to make the night-time trek home.”
2. Huddersfield
Huddersfield claims the second spot. Here’s how one of the contributors describes this town, ” All those who want to keep their wallets, phones, and most importantly their sense of smell, should stay away from Huddersfield.” Another one stated, “What is there to say about a place that mentions one of its main attractions, a hill?”.
If you’re seriously considering moving to this town, here’s some advice from one of the residents: “If you’re thinking about moving to Huddersfield, think about the minimal qualifications first.:
- Must have a minimum of three children, one of whom must be at least somewhat genetically unrelated to the other two. (Preferably with an ADHD diagnosis).
- Your BMI must be greater than 30.
- Your teeth must look like a burnt fuse box.
- Must consent to throw a mattress and/or a shopping cart in your garden’s trash can.
1. Aylesbury
By getting 25% more votes than Huddersfield, Aylesbury officially claims the first spot on this list. The contributors said, ” You are caught in traffic as you approach Aylesbury. Not to worry; it’s all included in the tour. The amazing beauty of all the “trashy inhabitants” that live there may be seen while you’re delayed in traffic.”
Words of caution by another resident said, ” If you’re a family or individual from the middle to upper classes wishing to relocate to Aylesbury, make sure to hire four full-time security guards, a dog, and barbed wire to surround your home.”
There’s an extensive list of things people consider wrong with Aylesbury. The most important amongst them include the high crime rate, deprivation, poverty, and high housing prices.
Conclusion
Every place on Earth has its own set of pros and cons. The sites mentioned above have critical elements of the living experience missing. Which tips the scales against them. Some have severe sanitation and cleanliness issues, others are taken down by drugs, and some because of the low income versus high expenses. However, as bad a town may look, something is always unique that you can associate only with that specific place.
Even for the towns listed above, you can find some beautiful things people have to say about them. This article by The Bucks Herald states some things people like about Aylesbury. Another report by The Telegraph & Argus mentions some things everyone in Bradford can be proud of, despite being listed above as one of the worst towns in the UK.
So, in our opinion, every town is different from the other. You can’t just look at the negative side and complete a picture. Every city is unique; the more time you’ve spent there, the most you understand this about your town.
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FAQs:
1. What’s the Worst City in the UK?
As per a recent poll by ilivehere.co.uk, Aylesbury was voted as the worst city in the UK. 110,172 people took part in this online poll to decide the top 50 worst places to live in the UK, and Aylesbury came out on top of the list.
2. Where is the most depressing place to live in the UK?
Bradford is often listed as the most depressing place in the UK, and the reason for it has a lot to do with the amount of sunlight it gets. As per reports, Bradford only gets 110 hours of sunlight in winters, making it officially the most depressing city in the UK.
3. What is the saddest city in the UK?
This article by GB News mentions Bradford as the saddest city in the UK. It all boils down to the weather. The researchers evaluated which parts of the Uk get the least amount of sunlight as the hormone Serotonin, which makes people happy, is associated with sunlight. Since Bradford gets the least amount of sunlight, it was chosen as the saddest place in the UK.
