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

[Lieger]

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?

This describes the centre of Cheltenham, which did get a couple of mentions upthread.

I have friends there who avoid the town centre now. There are other lovely parts though.

N. Yorks - Richmond, Northallerton, Thirsk, Yarm, Malton, Skipton, Ripon, Ilkley, Pickering, Helmsley, Easingwold. Also Barnard Castle in Co Durham and Hexham, Corbridge, Morpeth, Alnwick, Berwick, Alnmouth, Warkworth in Northumberland. Brampton, Cockermouth and Penrith in Cumbria.

Have seen some shout outs for Lancaster. Uni city so there are no rental properties, and the house prices are higher because of students. the town centre has lost its soul ( and its independent shops) imo, however there are smaller towns/ market towns nearby - Garstang, Kirby Lonsdale, Clitheroe, Carnforth (cheap houses) , Kendal, Longridge. The Ribble Valley is beautiful. Penrith. Carlisle. The NW and NE are very beautiful and you get a lot for your money.

I was going to say avoid Oxford at all costs! It's horrific. Traffic worse than any other place, house prices not far off London prices, shopping is dire and parking ridiculously expensive, overrun with tourists, overrun with students, green belt continuously being destroyed.

Oxfordshire. Wallingford, Wantage and Thame are all nice market towns locally, with pretty good schools and standards of living. More affordable than Oxford.

Completely agree with this. East Anglia has loads of very pretty towns and villages and even the larger towns don’t feel overwhelming.
Colchester is a super place to live. The town centre is suffering the way most are at the moment but as Pudding says money is being poured into Colchester since it became a city. Don’t let the city status fool you, it really is only a large town but money comes with status and the town really is benefitting.

Norwich - anyone else find that the locals are not that friendly if you have a noticeably different accent?
I lived there for a while and the city is nice but not overly friendly ime.
Really good music scene though.
I would suggest any of the gorgeous market towns in Northumberland but do not expect them to be cheap.

Another vote for Stamford, it has beautiful architecture, lovely well supported high street shops like The White Company, Joules, Crew Clothing and boutiques, good road links (A1) and a train station taking you directly to Stansted airport. There's a bit of an older demographic, so fewer problems related to drugs and antisocial behaviour.

Weird question OP. Are you really thinking ALL towns and cities are shit ?

Grimsby. There are some good Macdonald’s there too.

Lewes is sinking under piles of weeds. Its very green here, and hippy. Its safe though. And it was beautiful. We do though have a brand new wetland habitat for our very own Horney snail, some brilliant pubs, an independent cinema and lots of people love the dwarf battle bread from Flintowl bakery. But the biggest thing to remember is that wherever you are from the locals will refer to you as DFL even 20 years later.

Bury St Edmunds is thriving - it has some great independent shops and restaurants (could have two Michelin-starred ones soon!). The schools are decent and the people are generally friendly and respectful. I'd highly recommend it as a place to live.

Some parts of Bath maybe, but Twerton is to be avoided at all costs.

Glad to see Winchester get a couple of mentions - one of my favourite towns. Definitely a good call for anyone who can afford it.

Ringwood, although Hampshire is right on the border of Dorset. I live nearby so pop in now and again and still seems quite a harmless little town.

Malden Essex

Thame, Nr Oxford

Many towns and villages in the Cotswolds with biblical prices to keep the riff-raff away

I think you might be mistaken, it's still a cesspit of human decay and just getting worse.

Though there is still a Waterstones (I hear that's the mark of a respectable town).

Agree that York city centre is grim on a Saturday afternoon/evening because of stag and hen parties. Most residents avoid the city centre on Saturday. Otherwise it’s a lovely place to live!

Ah, sorry I wasn't talking about trouble - although I have seen that on race days. I was talking more about all the low quality shops/empty units and general air of decline since John Lewis closed.

Given the ever worsening traffic problems (bus lanes, cycle lanes, road works, insanely expensive city centre car parks, etc), I think residents avoid the city centre every day not just Saturdays and are leaving it to the students and tourists. All the different out of town retail parks are always busy though - drivers obviously prefer the less congested ring road and free car parks!

I hate to break it to you @MotherOfCatBoy but three of the four high street banks in Frome have now closed! One has already re-opened as a tatto parlour, though... Some independent shops are struggling, and a few restaurants have closed - but others are opening - there is a great entrepeneurial spirit in the town!

I'm hoping we're too far from the rest of the country for there to be a massive influx of people 🤞

Visited Glasgow and Edinburgh a few weeks ago. We were very surprised to find we much preferred Glasgow! Edinburgh has turned into a horrible tourist trap with a million crappy gift shops and druggies everywhere, the Castle is boring but Berties Fish and Chips and Bucks Bar were really nice. Glasgow had some really nice shops, was clean and had a lovely brewery near the Necropolis. The Glasgow Science Centre is amazing and next to a lovely lake.

No.

small town in Scotland.

North Berwick. A town in East Lothian, Scotland. Voted the best place to live 2024 by Sunday times.