Ever visited somewhere for the day and been really disappointed?

[Summerhouse2013]

We travelled to Yeovil in Somerset yesterday for the day, wow, we were so disappointed.

It was like a ghost town. Most of the shops were shut, only a handful were open. And towards the bottom area of the town most of the shops were completely closed down.

I'd always got the impression there was a lot more to Yeovil.

We left after an hour as there was nothing to do.

I have only visited one duff NT place - in Anglesey, it was very oddly modern inside (and not in a good way!)

Chester Zoo, last time we went they seemed to be turning it into some sort of theme park. Dont know where they were keeping the thousands of animals they supposedly had, looked a bit deserted in places, wont be going again.

Also Wirral and specifically Hilbre Island: leisure peninsula my arse, it’s a slimy swamp with buildings on it and the beaches are mud.

I have to disagree about Aberystwyth I was at a writing festival there on Saturday and the town was very interesting. Lots of nice cafes and architecture. Little squares of delightful houses hidden away and the sea front is great

@Toddlerteaplease Completely agree re Carcassonne. Supposed to be the oldest fortified town in France but they forget to tell you that it was completely rebuilt in the 1800s and is devoid of any authentic atmosphere. The streets are full of shops selling tacky plastic souvenirs. Such a disappointment.

@PhilNW yes, the trouble with their swanky new habitats is that the animals (understandably) bugger off to where there are no people. Before the TV show, the conditions were not great - the elephant enclosure in particular I recall appearing far too small.

The New Forest. All the 'villages' and massively over developed with seemingly no regard for any planning guidelines or taste. The roads can't cope. Property is grossly over priced. Any mildly attractive areas are heaving with tourists, piling into mediocre cafes.
A lot of the forest is non indigenous trees with huge pylons running through it sat alongside massive docks and cruise ship hubs dominated by huge factories/refineries. There are nicer 'natural' areas of the UK that are much less crowded and haven't been spoiled by over development.

I'm struggling to find Ludlow underwhelming. I guess if you don't like market towns, castles, old buildings and mooching around interesting food shops then it might be boring.

I loved Ludlow and have visited twice.

I also like Bath.

We used to live near Yeovil. It’s a useful service town, good supermarkets etc but sadly, not a place I’d really choose to visit. The big adventure play park when my kids were teeny was good but other than that, it’s like your average large town with services…not really a historic place with
retry buildings etc

Ok then, when visiting Exeter a few weeks ago, shops were all open, loads of places to eat.

Went down to Exeter quay and pubs, craft shops water activities all open too.

Not everywhere is shut on Sundays...

In 2021 Clacton was voted the worst seaside town in the UK so I'm not sure why you'd actually go there? And that's before getting into the problems at Jaywick.

Newuser82 I appreciate I’m probably biased, having been born and raised in Bath, but I still think Bath is a lovely place to visit, with so much history to offer.
I left Bath twenty years ago now, but still visit weekly (my in-law’s live there), and I still love popping into the city centre. The beauty of the architecture never fails to take my breath away.
As with any city, there will be negatives (there is a lot of homelessness etc), but please don’t be put off by the experiences of others. There are so many positives too 😊

Inclined to agree.

What is strange about Bath?
I have family near there so have visited a few times, and really like it.
I love the combination of sightseeing, the history and a bit of shopping.

Edinburgh and Dublin. Not impressed with either.

Dublin.
Very expensive very grey and boring

Loads to see and do in Edinburgh. Although I was underwhelmed by Dublin.

Is no-one interested in history and culture?

Went to Blackpool Zoo lately , much more modest in size and pretty busy as it was half term. Good layout and plenty animals in view. Would pick Blackpool over Chester any day.

Exeter is a city! Yeovil is a market town.

I think Bath is fine, but the hype and promotion around it does not live up to the reality. Yes there is the Crescent, attractive - but nobody spends that long looking at it. And the baths themselves. But a lot of the rest is not any better than any other city in the UK with older buildings.

I love Chester zoo and the fact the animals are now well kept. Yes you will not see all of them as they are now properly looked after.

Venice.

Chelsea flower show.
Everything was very expensive. Nowhere to sit. All grass etc roped off so you had to go into a cafe/restaurant to sit down.
Show gardens were underwhelming. All very small and impossible to see. The marquee was better, but generally very disappointing. I won't go again.