Experts have ranked Britain’s prettiest and ugliest towns through assessing the pleasantness of their shop fronts, historic architecture, low traffic/litter, viewpoints and the amount of greenery
The prettiest and ugliest towns in Britain have been ranked in a controversial poll.
The UK is home to around 1,250 towns: many of them pretty, many of them ugly, many of them not-too-bad. Experts have now given their verdict to find which is the fairest of them all.
The Telegraph asked each expert to rank their towns on the pleasantness of their shop fronts, historic architecture, low traffic/litter, viewpoints and the amount of greenery — which would be out of a total score of 50.
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Named the third prettiest in the UK, was St David’s in Pembrokeshire scoring 44 out of 50. Noted for its pretty shop fronts and historical architecture, St David’s is technically Britain’s tiniest city with a population of around 1,600 people.
The destination is also home to many quaint pubs and tearooms that boast warm an welcoming vibes.
There is also a four-mile ramble to St David’s Head which boasts stunning views out across an island and sea, where — if you are lucky — you’ll be able to see dolphins, Atlantic grey seals and harbour porpoises splash.
The second prettiest town in the UK went to Queensferry in West Lothian, scoring a total of 45 out of 50.
Also known as South Queensferry, the town is tucked on the Edinburgh flank of the Forth Bridges. It is home to some amazing architecture and significant bridges, such as the Forth Bridge. Snatching the top spot for the prettiest town in the UK was Lewes, in East Sussex, with 46 out of 50.
Known for its annual firework display, Lewes is a picturesque town that features a wealth of independent retailer along its medieval streets with hilly twittens and alleyways. Despite the twittens and alleyways being hilly, it offers a great day out or even pub crawl, as the town has 17 in its centre.
You can also visit the South Downs, which can be easily reached, and enjoy panoramic views of the hills, town and beyond.
- Lewes
- Queensferry
- St David’s
- St Andrew’s
- Ilkley
- Chagford
- Ludlow
- Fowey
- Crickhowell
- Ripon
- Ledbury
- Woodbridge
- Holt
- Rye
The ugliest towns in Britain
Experts named Telford in Shropshire, Merthyr Tydfil in Wales and Slough in Berkshire as the three most ugly towns in Britain.
The third most ugliest town was Telford, which achieved an overall score of 17 out of 50. Scoring five or less across the board, Telford was noted for having no real town centre. The town didn’t exist until the 1960s and was created as part of the New Towns designated by Harold MacMillan’s Conservative Government. The town features no specific centre and has a few highstreets with limited retailers.
However, experts did note how Telford sits just north of the Ironbridge Gorge — a bucolic UNESCO World Heritage Site which is home to Abraham Darby III’s pioneering Iron Bridge as well as an array museums and a handmade pork pie shop
Scooping the title of Britain’s second most ugly town, was Merthyr Tydfil in Wales, scoring a total of 15 out of 50. Located in a basin at the northern head of the Taff Valley, Merthyr has multiple industrial and retail parks, busy roads with lots of traffic and high levels of crime and joblessness.
One of it’s saving graces is the hills that rise around the town and Cyfarthfa Castle – a castellated mansion and art gallery. It is also home to the UK’s biggest mountain bike park, the world’s fastest seated zip-line across an open-cast coal mine and Bannau Brycheiniog National Park.
Taking the top spot was Slough in Berkshire, which score 12 out of 50, including a score of zero for its shop fronts and views.
Slough’s high street has been rated as one of the unhealthiest in the UK for the number of takeaways and lack of leisure facilities, according to The Telegraph.
However, the town is due to get a £110 million makeover in the coming years, which could help turn the town from ugly to pretty.
- Slough
- Merthyr Tydfil
- Telford
- Cumbernauld
- Newton Abbot
- Lowestoft
- Stanley