Depressing Places in the UK

[Sadact7]

From Hell, Hull and Halifax may the good Lord deliver us.

Wish he fucking had have done

[Hillman avenger]

Middlesborough
Stayed there in what may well have been the worst hotel ever stayed in. Went out for a walk in the town which had the effect of making the hotel seem charming.

[The Tick]

It’s an interesting distinction between “depressing” and “shithole”.

For example, my nomination of Dunstable. It’s far from the most crime ridden, dangerous places in the country, but it just has that sense of bleak hopelessness.

Happy Monday everyone

An important distinction to make. Southern Italy and southern Spain are home to some of Europe's most impoverished communities yet their urban landscapes have a far better aesthetic appeal than the well to do suburban jungles of the UK. The nice weather helps too i guess.

In the UK it does boil down to the short sightedness of urban planners which transcends decades. Cheap municipal brutalism of the 1960s to the rampant commercialism and functionality of the 1980s onwards. All have contributed to towns and cities which exist only as basic functions of work, domesticity and consumerism. Very little attention is paid to public services, utilities and cultural interests. There's often no flourish, imagination or panache to much of what is built.

The one glimmer of hope is the admittedly trashy tarting up of city centres of the UK to make them more attractive to visit.

Its the small towns and city peripheries that remain dungeons of mediocrity.

It’s true.

For example my own hometown can quite legitimately be regarded as a shithole. The people are largely scum (including yours truly) and the place has been mostly trashed and forgotten.

But if you look above eye level some of the architecture is absolutely fantastic. Fortunately nothing happened here in the 60s and 70s so when the likes of Bradford were being steamrolled and replaced with flyovers, brutalist concrete and god awful 70s apartment blocks, the old buildings here were left alone.












Mind yer ‘ead

Ive got to say Bradford in architectural terms is a masterpiece of a city. The victorian ingenuity really shines through. Im a sucker for terraced housing and street layouts from that period. The city centre is very tidy and well kept and the people for the most part are okay. The indian/Pakistani restaurants are top notch over there and the perseverance of local businesses makes up gor the lack of corporate interest in the place. If anything the relative lack of gaudy top shopping brands is actually a bonus.

There is that lingering sense of abandonment which is reflected in the general mood there. Due to the well known socioeconomic matters its not entirely surprising.

[kevin04]

Rhyl

Stopped there for about 90 minutes or so after visiting some amazing places in north and west Wales.

Even in lovely, 25 degree weather, it was fairly bleak and depressing. Lots of rough looking people with devil dugs and tattoos walking around ; seemed to be three or four choices of shops in the main shopping area/high street - bookies ; 50% off discount stores ; kebab shops or booze shops.

[Jim1981]

Anywhere south of Teesside or north for that matter. But especially south.

[henrycrs]

It’s an interesting distinction between “depressing” and “shithole”.

For example, my nomination of Dunstable. It’s far from the most crime ridden, dangerous places in the country, but it just has that sense of bleak hopelessness.

Happy Monday everyone

Fair comment. And Dunstable is just fucking bleak and depressing.

Stevenage is another one, soulless. Milton Keynes as well.

[Sadact7]

It’s an interesting distinction between “depressing” and “shithole”.

For example, my nomination of Dunstable. It’s far from the most crime ridden, dangerous places in the country, but it just has that sense of bleak hopelessness.

Happy Monday everyone

Fair comment. And Dunstable is just fucking bleak and depressing.

Stevenage is another one, soulless. Milton Keynes as well.

While Milton Keynes is undoubtedly depressing, I would personally go for “creepy”

The place feels like an episode of Black Mirror.

[henrycrs]

It’s an interesting distinction between “depressing” and “shithole”.

For example, my nomination of Dunstable. It’s far from the most crime ridden, dangerous places in the country, but it just has that sense of bleak hopelessness.

Happy Monday everyone

Fair comment. And Dunstable is just fucking bleak and depressing.

Stevenage is another one, soulless. Milton Keynes as well.

While Milton Keynes is undoubtedly depressing, I would personally go for “creepy”

The place feels like an episode of Black Mirror.

Yeah. It’ll every suburb is the same. One estate ‘harvester’, the same layout, the same brain dead residents.

[lambrini]

Kensington High St
Kensington in general

[Sid Pervcat]

Burnham on Sea

[Zambo]

Burnham on Sea

What's Weston like these days. Went there a lot as a kid, but bet it's not quite so welcoming now.

[Sid Pervcat]

Its a Shite hole full of gak rats wanting to fight every fucker.

[Basualdo]

Girvan, Ayrshire.

[Zambo]

Girvan, Ayrshire.

All these Scottish shiteholes won't soon be a part of the UK if wee Jimmy has her way. On the list of pros I guess.

[henrycrs]

Corby

Blackpool is still top IMO. Went up for business in February a couple of years ago, everything boarded up or closed. Chavs everywhere. Cold. Bleak. Dreadful.