To nominate as the country's worst town centre....

[moogster1a]

...Rochdale.
Good God it's a god forsaken place. There appears to be half a dozen payday loan shos, a few poundland things and some mobile 'phone shops.
It's got so bad that even maccy d's has shut down.
It's only redeeming feature is that Gabbots farm is still clinging on.

cross posted with Jackie

Finsbury Park .... You obviously have never been to
East ham
West ham
Canning town
Plaistow
Hackney wick
Welcome to east london

Tamworth.

And Stourport, where I grew up, at least has a mostly pretty Georgian High Street and the river to recommend it. Its actually quite pleasant in winter.

Coventry
Reading
Southampton
Aylesbury
Wycombe

Someone always says Bridlington! Not the most happening of places but I can think of about ten worse town centres off the top of my head and they don't have the redeeming feature of miles of glorious seafront. A crap town with a view will never be the worst town!

sassy small world> i lived
there from 84 to 90 or there abouts . .

Bu dont forget the chip eaters .Chips one hand and ice cream the other and the fairground with he dragon and paddling pool that needs emtying of glass least once a day

YEs he buidings may be pretty but it still bad on shops

Ooh maybe, I was at the High school from 85-90. Lived the Areley Kings side of the river in "the village" (Dad still there).

THC not TSC!

oo you lived in posh bit .

I was almost on the walshes < hangs head in shame > and went to windmill then the high school .Around the same time to as did my brother .Now I am curiours

lots of drinking on the river park to snake bite anyone

oh god janx CANNING TOWN!!! i forgot what a dump that is. I haven't been to Stratford since the new westfield but 2 years ago when i worked there it was like a scene from an heironymous bosch painting. I really hope the Olympics sort it out.

I didn't mention Birkenhead as i thought it was too obvious! but yes also one of the grimmest places i have been to as is Connah's Quay.

I live just outside Milton Keynes, and although I really dislike it. I don't think it compares to the wasteland which most of the above are. It is soulless and identikit but i don't feel in mortal danger here, and i can get a decent meal and find a nice pub (if i look hard...and squint a bit).

Hastings is also horrid.

Another vote for Newport here, it is actually a city, but it is a vile desolate place full of market type shops and greasy spoons. It was never the nicest place but in recent years even the locals avoid the town centre. Everyone shops in Cwmbran now, which IMO, is not much better!

We must know each other then, I'd have thought

PM me if youwant to!

Have only read OP, but as I was scrolling to the end, I was thinking "I bet it is Rochdale". DH is from there and he and FIL had an arguement as DH insisted that Rochdale town centre is utter shite.

Wow, 13 pages and nobody has mentioned the two most dire places I have ever lived!

I would like to nominate Paisley (Scotland) and Bordon (Hampshire) as the two joint worst towns!

Having read this thread, it is clear that everyone has different views on what makes a carp/good town centre.

Where I am from has been mentioned twice on the thread but it has actually undergone quite a facelift over the last couple of years and has some decent shops (I admit it was pretty dire before then) so either people who mentioned it haven't been for a while or have very high expectations of what makes a good town centre

Compared to some towns on here that I have also been to, it is much better

Burnham on sea- yuck!!
Yeovil- hideous
Folkestone- grey, dreary and downright depressing
Kings Heath- awful just awful
Bude- there are no words

Oh come on, Birkenhead (my home town) is nowhere near as grim as Hull! Unless they have demolished and rebuilt Hull in the last couple of years?

sassy have pm you

Only one vote for blackpool!!! It has a lovely park and the zoo is good, by my god the town centre is UGLY! The town planners and architects should be shot for the mass of grey concrete that is there.......

I know it's not in England but I have to mention Merthyr Tydfil as the worst and most dire place I have ever been to. Also, whoever said that Bath is awful clearly knows nothing as it is a world heritage city and is stunning. I don't know of any run down parts and I go there every month or so.

MrJelly

Yes the town of which you write might have some decent shops at last but are they the usual clones or small independent businesses? Clones are just too many.

can I just defend Stevenage a teeny bit? New town centre is ugly yes, but has all the shops you need on a general basis and old town high street is actually nice + the roads don't gridlock even in rush-hour and you can park (take THAT St Albans!) Has anyone mentioned Romford yet?

Bedford
Thetford
West Bromwich

IloveSanta I nearly mentioned Paisley but can't remember it having a town centre!