Overrated places in the UK

[Fixitup2]

What are your over rated places in the U.K. that everyone else seems to love?

Mine is the Peak District which imo has mediocre scenery spoilt by too many roads and too many people. I hate it and only ever agree to go if there’s nowhere else and we need to stop somewhere that way.

@Stevearnottsbeard

Can not believe 2 people have said Chester, its beautiful!!!! I love it!

I have literally just once changed trains at Chester, had two hours to kill time in the town, and ever since have fantasised about moving there. Roman ruins! A zoo! A library you can sleep in! What more could anyone want?!

Cornwall. Been a few times just to be sure there isn't a nicer part I've just not seen yet. There isn't.

Oxford - trafficky, crap shops

Traffic yes, some decent shops now in the Westgate centre, but surely no-one goes to Oxford for the shops?

@sergeilavrov, I didn't technically say it was a good place to visit, I said it was a good place to base yourself if you want to visit places in the area by public transport.

However, whilst it has its share of grotty places, it also has a lovely beach and decent countryside close by. :) And I wouldn't class it as miserable generally, I really like it here. :)

I was underwhelmed by Devon. It was a 7 hour drive there and really wasn't all that special. Plus those high hedges were a blinking nightmare.
Manchester has a weird vibe to it. Despite living so close we very rarely go.

I think this thread really demonstrates that there is something for everyone and to each their own...

Anyways, another vote for the Lake District from me - was totally underwhelmed. It was so damn busy and expensive. Much prefer the Peak District.

Whitstable was pretty but too busy and chocolate boxey for me, loved Margate though. Love that slightly grotty seaside resort vibe and it was lovely and quiet in January 2020: just before the world imploded!

Also adore IOW, it’s my go to place for a short break. Yes it’s like stepping back 50 years but that’s what I like, it’s slow and gentle and so pretty....I get on that ferry and I leave my work worries behind🤯

@Gemma2019

Stonehenge. It's a bit shit.

Absolutely. The way they've got it fenced off really ruins the aesthetic.

My 'overrated' is pretty much the whole of south-east England, I'm afraid. (And yes, I have lived there.) Cost of living too high, too few beauty spots, overcrowded and too much traffic on the roads.

Edinburgh

I like London, it's not my favourite city but it probably should be

If the UK was a person, Blackpool would be its arse. Once had the misfortune of driving through it.

Oh, well, you clearly have a thoroughgoing knowledge of the place then. FFS.

@BigHuff

I don't think I've ever been somewhere in the UK that I haven't really liked. I even like Stoke and would recommend it as being worth a visit. Love Blackpool.

This is me. I even like bits of Dagenham, and nobody likes Dagenham.

(My one exception, as I posted above: Banbury. Banbury sucks.)

@Volcanoexplorer

The Lake District. Probably an unpopular opinion, but I much prefer the Yorkshire Dales.

yes me too!

I love Liverpool (from there) and now live near Birmingham which I also love - canal side, Mail Box - Brindley Place and great shopping

Never really 'got' Cornwall - too far and difficult to get to and busy

Can't believe anyone said Snowdonia - what are you on!

@noirchatsdeux I loved Glasgow, I think it's got to be one of the best cities in the UK for shopping, obviously only if you're into that and need a hardcore shopping trip.

I live in the Lakes District and I must say it’s been vastly improved by no visitors.

York-it’s overrated and busy all the time-don’t stop or you’ll get knocked over (I used to live there)
Scarborough-dirty,over priced tat and crappy beach
Peterborough-it just stank,it was an odd whiff like everyone had stood in the city centre and did one long collective fart
London-dirty and busy
Whitby-bloody lovely place-shame that there are are so many hills and once you’ve spent about 8 hours there you run out of things to see
Bridlington-see Whitby minus the hilly bits
Harrogate-so snobby-we hung around for about 4 hours then left after the locals had looked us up and down
Leeds-a shittier version of York

@BigHuff have you ever been to Medway? I challenge you to like it there.

Lands End was much shitter than I expected. I like most of the rest of Cornwall though, the coast anyway.

Exeter. It’s boring and feels sinister as fuck at the same time - awful place. Can’t believe so few others have slagged it off. Always wins “most generic high street” too.

Birmingham is possibly the ugliest city in the UK, if not Europe. Second city my arse!

Love London, Brighton, Oxford and Whitby though.

What's sinister about Exeter?

@tigerbread20

Was so underwhelmed by Edinburgh, walked round for 4 days thinking "why have I bothered flying up here"

Edinburgh a city of great beauty and variety with a cultural heritage like no other. You must have no soul

Hated Liverpool and Blackpool. Also Bristol, although it has a brilliant science museum. But it is pretty grim in most places. I’m all for the street art and encouragement of it, but tagging anything that doesn’t move is not a good look.

Edinburgh is let down by the scarcity of clean bathrooms

Insider tip. Most of the newly renovated stores (which is most of the big ones) all have customer toilets and they aren’t supposed to refuse access to them. Building regs in Scotland state they must be provided. Primark Princes street has them, and they are clean as hardly anyone knows they are there.

I just get a really heavy, depressed feeling whenever I go there. As soon as I step off the train. Feels very remote and soulless.

Well I'm completely gobsmacked ...
Spent my early life in Edinburgh, Dad still lives there ... love it.
Brought up in Derbyshire and spent most weekends in the Peaks ... love it. Used to holiday in Salcombe and Kingsbridge ... love it. Love Wales esp Angelsey. Enjoyed spending time in East London when i've visited. Live in Manchester and love it. Never been to Stonhenge but if I did I wouldn't be expecting an 'experience'.
Whoever said Altrincham was bang on though.

I like York as a for a nice place to pop to on a Wednesday afternoon for a spot of lunch and shopping(I went to Uni near there). But yes from a tourism perspective it would underwhelm me. We got bought a voucher for the only 5 hotel there, so tried to have a tourism weekend and it wasn't great, the hotel was shte, awful spa, and you could just hear drunk students screaming all night. It's doesn't seem to have a nice bar scene either, even places which should be nice are really rough!

It does have some very lovely independent restaurants and cafe bars though.