Uk towns that have been a (surprise) let down to you

[Teamfixed]

So following on from the "countries you would not return to" thread.

I'll start...
Hay on Wye
In a beautiful part of the UK and has lots of character but every time I've been there its closed.

 

[Oldhippy]

Ipswich, it seemed to close entirely at 5pm. May have changed now it has been a while

 

[Alex321]

So following on from the "countries you would not return to" thread.

I'll start...
Hay on Wye
In a beautiful part of the UK and has lots of character but every time I've been there its closed.

How did you manage that?

The important parts (bookshops & somewhere for food) have always been open when we've been.

 

[cougie uk]

So following on from the "countries you would not return to" thread.

I'll start...
Hay on Wye
In a beautiful part of the UK and has lots of character but every time I've been there its closed.

We have had some lovely holidays there - I don't recall it being shut much ?

Now Docklands and Canary Wharf at the weekend - that was a mistake. Never stay there again. Deserted.

 

[Venod]

Manchester

Litter capital of the UK.

 

[matticus]

Hay on Wye
In a beautiful part of the UK and has lots of character but every time I've been there its closed.

I can relate to that! (it's a frequent Audax stop, which can often be at odd hours.) Much of Wales is the same - Newtown was shut at 4pm Saturday last summer. A bit like rural France, but colder/wetter.

Still a lovely town when it's open! (Hay I mean).

I'll nominate Warwick (I'm sure there's been worse, but it was in my thoughts recently cos of the bike races.) There have been many where nice buildings etc are ruined by car dominance.

 

[Tim Bennet.]

I cycled round the old, touristy parts of Oxford ten days ago. Came in along the Thames cyclepath.

Everywhere looked pretty tired and worn out. Perhaps it was the end of the season, but it felt pretty grim.

I recognise it's a town with a very diverse make up, but if the five star touristy areas of that town appear to be worn out, litter strewn and graffiti covered, then it's indicative of quite how bad things have become in this country through the austerity years.

 

[matticus]

I cycled round the old, touristy parts of Oxford ten days ago. Came in along the Thames cyclepath.

Worth noting that the stretch up from Kennington/Sandford Lock is brand spanking new, and a superb cycling surface

Everywhere looked pretty tired and worn out. Perhaps it was the end of the season, but it felt pretty grim.

I recognise it's a town with a very diverse make up, but if the five star touristy areas of that town appear to be worn out, litter strewn and graffiti covered, then it's indicative of quite how bad things have become in this country through the austerity years.

I am genuinely surprised by your review. It's not as shiny as towns I've recently visited over the North Sea, but it's OK. And the best bits are the buildings themselves, and the parks - if you're walking along a public access shopping street or main road, well ... yeah, it's a busy town, with traffic, buses and some litter.

Walk across the cobbled bit to the Bodleian, or round the Botanical Gardens, or the University Parks, or any of the museums: it's a pretty nice place!

 

[Joffey]

London. It's too big.

 

[Ian H]

Bridgwater (https://agaveweb.com/blog/you-know-you´re-from-somerset-when/)
Kidderminster (at least, as it was a few years ago)
Morriston (Treforris)

 

[Salty seadog]

Born in Dover, schooled in Dover(good school), lived in Dover. Almost put Dover behind me.

That is not to say Dover is not magnificent. It historically is.

 

[Profpointy]

Stratford on Avon

OK, it's a pleasant enough place rather than a dump, but only worth visiting if you're actually going to the theatre.

Maidenhead: a bit of a dump frankly, the high street and town proper especially. Spent a year or two in hotels there. Granted Slough is slightly more of a dump (another year there) but you don't expect Slough to be nice so it's actually better than you feared.

 

[Smokin Joe]

I cycled round the old, touristy parts of Oxford ten days ago. Came in along the Thames cyclepath.

I was going to say Oxford. I went there back in the eighties and thought it was a depressing dump.

Cambridge on the other hand was lovely.

 

[FishFright]

Manchester

Litter capital of the UK.

You've not been to Stoke on Trent then ?

 

[MontyVeda]

Bangor, about 1980. It must've been the half day closing day because everywhere was shut, even the public loos. After that, the song 'Day Trip to Bangor' (didn't we have a lovely time...) was always met with a strong sense of irony.