Admittedly, the list of things in which Britain truly excels isn’t particularly extensive. But (credit where credit is due), alongside making decent cups of tea and exceptionally orderly queuesour country has also produced some pretty gorgeous towns in its time.
From quaint towns and quiet towns to market towns and medieval towns; Britain boasts a rather impressive 1250 towns in total. And the travel-aficionados over at The Telegraph decided to put them all under a microscope to uncover which of them is the prettiest town of all. And which of them is the ugliest. But we’ll lead with the good news first. And the good news is that the prettiest town in the entire country is just 90 minutes from the capital city. So you can go and check it out for yourself if you so wish.
The Telegraph’s travel experts ranked each of Britain’s towns based on factors including shopfronts, historic architecture, amount of traffic and litter, number of viewpoints, and the amount of greenery. Each town was then given a score out of 50 to decipher which are as pretty as a picture, and which are, well… not quite so picture-perfect.
The prettiest town in Britain
Taking home first prize in this beauty pageant is Lewes in East Sussex. The historic and picturesque market town has been named the prettiest in the country, scoring a mighty 46 out of 50. Lewes was praised for its medieval streets and alleyways, its plethora of pubs, the gorgeous independent shops and eateries lining its streets, and its easy access to the South Downs. Lewes boasts a rich history, dating all the way back to the Saxon times, and is home to the ever so good-looking likes to Lewes Castle and Anne of Cleves House.
The ugliest town in Britain
Now for the slightly less attractive news. The ugliest towns in the country were also ranked in the study. And the ugliest town of all (according to The Telegraph), with a rather measly score of just 12 out of 50is also pretty close to London. Slough in Berkshire was named Britain’s ugliest town, due to its unappealing shopfronts and lack of viewpoints. However, Slough is due to receive a hefty £110 million makeover at some point in the next few years. So who know what the future may hold. Watch out, Lewes…
Read The Telegraphs full rankings here.
