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Original poster

The poshest county in the UK?

435 replies

Eyes98 · 10/04/2025 22:57

Which one county would you say is the outright poshest in the UK? Let’s not use Greater London here, and I know there will be social diversity in all, but which would you say is the poshest overall?
I’m going with Berkshire, darling.😂

OP posts:
MistyMoistyMorningCloud · 11/04/2025 08:25

Eyes98 · 10/04/2025 23:45

Excluding Peterborough what would you say then?

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No

Calliopespa · 11/04/2025 08:25

Brutalist · 11/04/2025 08:23

Northants?! Corby and Kettering are in it.

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There are undesirable parts to all counties the more I think about it.

YourAzureEagle · 11/04/2025 08:23

Chungai · 10/04/2025 23:46

West Sussex.

Followed by Bucks or Hants I think.

Wiltshire is rather posh too in parts - but has Swindon in the middle.

I live in Wiltshire, its quite posh, Swindon isn't in Wiltshire technically (but it is geographically), it's autonomous, not covered by Wiltshire Council, don't think anyone here looks at Swindon as part of the county.

Brutalist · 11/04/2025 08:23

Delphigirl · 11/04/2025 08:20

1st tier is Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, West Sussex, North Yorkshire I’d say

2nd tier is Berkshire, Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire, Devon, northants

Edited

Northants?! Corby and Kettering are in it.

Calliopespa · 11/04/2025 08:22

ProfessionalPirate · 11/04/2025 08:19

You’ve missed out a significant portion of the entry in the OED:

adverb
INFORMAL•BRITISH
in a refined or upper-class way.
"he may talk posh, but there is nothing fancy about Basil"
noun
INFORMAL•BRITISH
the quality of being elegant, stylish, or upper class.

I think some people just conflate ‘posh’ and ‘wealthy’ but of course they are not the same thing at all.

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I think posh has to have an element of understatement or it isn’t properly posh, it’s just flashy.

So a “ flashy” stately home is fine so long as it needs a new roof! 🤣

Teaandtoastserveddaily · 11/04/2025 08:21

Smidge001 · 10/04/2025 23:57

Slough isn't in Berkshire, it's in Bucks.

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It's in the historic county of bucks but it is now in Berkshire I think.

Used to stay there when we went to legoland! Good times.

Tessiebear2023 · 11/04/2025 08:21

Delphigirl · 10/04/2025 23:16

Oxfordshire
Nobody smart lives in Surrey

Quite.

Delphigirl · 11/04/2025 08:20

1st tier is Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, West Sussex, North Yorkshire I’d say

2nd tier is Berkshire, Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire, Devon, northants

Calliopespa · 11/04/2025 08:20

pimplebum · 11/04/2025 08:19

Devon

Not a bad suggestion.

ProfessionalPirate · 11/04/2025 08:19

Sameoldsameoldsame · 11/04/2025 08:05

Definitions from Oxford Languages · Learn more
adjective
elegant or stylishly luxurious.
"a posh hotel".

I know some think celebrities as 'posh'. It doesn't make it so.

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You’ve missed out a significant portion of the entry in the OED:

adverb
INFORMAL•BRITISH
in a refined or upper-class way.
"he may talk posh, but there is nothing fancy about Basil"
noun
INFORMAL•BRITISH
the quality of being elegant, stylish, or upper class.

I think some people just conflate ‘posh’ and ‘wealthy’ but of course they are not the same thing at all.

Calliopespa · 11/04/2025 08:19

Janie143 · 11/04/2025 08:15

It's definitely Cheshire. When characters on Coronation Street are going for a posh meal or thinking of buy a posh house it's always in CHESHIRE. That's the proof poshness right there.

Well if you’re meaning the type of posh that says “ let’s do something posh” then you are probably right!

pimplebum · 11/04/2025 08:19

Devon

Lilactimes · 11/04/2025 08:19

Eyes98 · 11/04/2025 00:42

Newmarket is Suffolk though isn’t it?

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I think @SiobhanSharpe maybe meant Newbury which is in Berkshire and horsey x

Calliopespa · 11/04/2025 08:17

Blinkingbother · 11/04/2025 08:14

Are you talking actual posh or just moneyed?…. If actual posh then I reckon Oxfordshire.

Yeah I think I’d vote Norfolk, Hampshire snd Oxfordshire.

Only I can’t cos the poll is rigged …

Calliopespa · 11/04/2025 08:16

Ryeman · 11/04/2025 08:13

I live in Bucks but being so close to London it’s very ‘new money’ now (see Beaconsfield). So I vote for Hampshire.

I think Bucks is new money now too (though clearly to some new money is the height of posh).

Berks has also lost a certain polish, though a contender on some fronts.

Janie143 · 11/04/2025 08:15

It's definitely Cheshire. When characters on Coronation Street are going for a posh meal or thinking of buy a posh house it's always in CHESHIRE. That's the proof poshness right there.

Blinkingbother · 11/04/2025 08:14

Are you talking actual posh or just moneyed?…. If actual posh then I reckon Oxfordshire.

Delphigirl · 11/04/2025 08:14

Nobody smart lives in Buckinghamshire.

Ryeman · 11/04/2025 08:13

I live in Bucks but being so close to London it’s very ‘new money’ now (see Beaconsfield). So I vote for Hampshire.

Calliopespa · 11/04/2025 08:12

thelondona2z · 11/04/2025 08:09

Buckinghamshire - the bits I have been to, anyway.

Bits of Somerset are super posh, although I grew up there and this defintely is not applicable to the entire county.

Yes there are bits that are quite posh.

Calliopespa · 11/04/2025 08:11

Sameoldsameoldsame · 11/04/2025 08:05

Definitions from Oxford Languages · Learn more
adjective
elegant or stylishly luxurious.
"a posh hotel".

I know some think celebrities as 'posh'. It doesn't make it so.

Show quote history

With a few exceptions, most celebrities I can think of are the antithesis of posh.

But clearly we all have our own criteria …

Gogogo12345 · 11/04/2025 08:11

Springhassprungxx · 11/04/2025 01:54

Oh but the Essex girl thing never went away and Towie gave it a terrible reputation

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It's highly annoying that. Rural Essex has sweet sod all to do with Towie yet most of the country labelled like it. Add Basildon to that and Essex has no chance of being called posh lol.

But I think it's the same as most other places. Some nice bits and some dives.

DevonCreamTeaPlease · 11/04/2025 08:10

Buckinghamshire and Berkshire are quite posh.

Surrey has posh parts 9(he northern bit) but some parts aren't

thelondona2z · 11/04/2025 08:09

OMG - why has that come out so big!!

thelondona2z · 11/04/2025 08:09

Buckinghamshire - the bits I have been to, anyway.

Bits of Somerset are super posh, although I grew up there and this defintely is not applicable to the entire county.