Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask which towns/cities have NOT gone to the dogs?

403 replies

Lieger · 26/04/2024 22:33

We are likely relocating in a couple of years. Just seen a thread about towns being full of people fighting and off their heads on drugs, empty high streets, rubbish everywhere, tent cities etc. Is there anywhere in the UK that hasn’t gone to hell?

OP posts:
Slobberchops1 · 27/04/2024 08:28

Lieger · 27/04/2024 08:17

Have you been to these places recently? Because a lot of places have gone really downhill in the last 5-10 years.

Show quote history

Colchester is a dump - it’s full of barbers and cafes a lot of shops are shutting and moving to out of town retail parks - the castle and park are nice with some good events on

bury st Edmund’s seems to have a thriving high street with reasonable parking charges and feels very safe

StridTheKiller · 27/04/2024 08:28

Liverpool. Just discovered it, it's lush!

Pheeeeebs · 27/04/2024 08:27

Colchester is a dump, I agree.
Bury st Edmunds is lovely.
Cambridge is lovely, bit snoooty and expensive but still nice.
go on day trips to as many places as you can, see what you think.

PotatoPudding · 27/04/2024 08:26

Lieger · 27/04/2024 08:17

Have you been to these places recently? Because a lot of places have gone really downhill in the last 5-10 years.

Show quote history

With the Exception of Ely & Thetford, I regularly go to them all. I live in a village outside a small market town, so have to go to the bigger places for shopping, gigs, museums, meals out, cinema, that kind of thing.

BakedTattie · 27/04/2024 08:25

Where I live has recently been voted the best place to live in the UK. And it really is, love it here. You need deep pockets mind!

anonima · 27/04/2024 08:24

If you want some more objective information, look up the Indices of Multiple Deprivation stats and census data by postcode. This will allow you to see socio-economic data for different regions. Inevitably, unfortunately, deprivation and poverty often lead to, or are connected to, the issues you describe.

JMSA · 27/04/2024 08:23

Edinburgh.

Nowanextraone · 27/04/2024 08:23

PotatoPudding · 27/04/2024 08:09

If you want a city or a large town, there’s Norwich, Bury St Edmunds, Ely, Cambridge and Chelmsford, although the latter two are very expensive. Colchester and Thetford seem to be having a lot of money put into them to make them, especially Colchester.

Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk are all filled with gorgeous market towns.

Colchester is a dump!! It's my nearest large town. Really awful

jeaux90 · 27/04/2024 08:22

I live in Oxfordshire. Lots of lovely market towns and Oxford itself is great.

Meadowfinch · 27/04/2024 08:19

Newbury, Marlborough, Devizes

KateDelRick · 27/04/2024 08:18

Can you clarify "gone to the dogs"? What exactly are you looking for and trying to avoid?
Budget?.

Original poster
Lieger · 27/04/2024 08:17

PotatoPudding · 27/04/2024 08:09

If you want a city or a large town, there’s Norwich, Bury St Edmunds, Ely, Cambridge and Chelmsford, although the latter two are very expensive. Colchester and Thetford seem to be having a lot of money put into them to make them, especially Colchester.

Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk are all filled with gorgeous market towns.

Have you been to these places recently? Because a lot of places have gone really downhill in the last 5-10 years.

OP posts:
JesusMaryAndJosephAndTheWeeDon · 27/04/2024 08:16

MuggedByReality · 26/04/2024 23:02

Forget cities & look at towns. The East Midlands is my part of the country and round here Ashbourne, Bakewell, Belper, Ashby de la Zouch & Market Harborough are all great places to live. West Bridgford is also good, but it’s a suburb rather than a town.

This, lovely high streets with independent shops and cafes.

PotatoPudding · 27/04/2024 08:09

If you want a city or a large town, there’s Norwich, Bury St Edmunds, Ely, Cambridge and Chelmsford, although the latter two are very expensive. Colchester and Thetford seem to be having a lot of money put into them to make them, especially Colchester.

Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk are all filled with gorgeous market towns.

AllProperTeaIsTheft · 27/04/2024 08:02

Lancaster. It's a bit boring though. York, which is lovely. Oxford (my favourite). Nowhere is totally free of issues, of course.

Original poster
Lieger · 27/04/2024 07:58

PotatoPudding · 26/04/2024 22:57

Almost everywhere in East Anglia.

Where is good in East Anglia?

OP posts:
CranfordScones · 26/04/2024 23:14

Most places are fine. But that's not an eye-catching headline.

LoreleiG · 26/04/2024 23:06

Where are you wanting to relocate? The town where I grew up is actually much nicer than it used to be. The high street is not what it was shop-wise though, that is true.

MuggedByReality · 26/04/2024 23:02

Forget cities & look at towns. The East Midlands is my part of the country and round here Ashbourne, Bakewell, Belper, Ashby de la Zouch & Market Harborough are all great places to live. West Bridgford is also good, but it’s a suburb rather than a town.

PotatoPudding · 26/04/2024 22:57

Almost everywhere in East Anglia.

Escapetothewhere · 26/04/2024 22:55

I was just reading that thread and was literally about to start up my own thread about this 😅 Interesting to see Cheltenham and York as those are two places we're considering.

SendMeHomeNow · 26/04/2024 22:53

I would second Hexham and Lancaster is still lovely.

Tristar15 · 26/04/2024 22:51

Lots of lovely places in the North East - Tynemouth, Whitley Bay, Morpeth, Hexham, Corbridge to name a few.

sobercuriouskind · 26/04/2024 22:48

And if we were going to live somewhere else, I would choose Edinburgh. Beautiful city.

sobercuriouskind · 26/04/2024 22:47

I live in Cheltenham and although it has its not so nice areas, it is mostly lovely, scenic and fairly low crime rates. Great schools and culture. Expensive though.