'Soul-destroying' town named 'most depressing in Britain' - but locals hit back

11 February 2024 , 10:39

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Falmouth has been described as the most depressing place in the world (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

A seaside town in Cornwall has been dubbed the most depressing place to live in Britain in a poll to the chagrin of people who call it home.

Despite being a beautiful location loved by locals and holidaymakers, the survey by iLiveHere labelled Falmouth "bland and boring" with an air of "soul-destroying mediocrity with a gaping cultural void". The poll sparked outrage among residents who called the decision a "joke". Locals were quick to dismiss the poll's results, insisting it couldn't be more wrong.

One person couldn't understand how Falmouth ranked above locations such as Blackpool, Burnley and Luton, saying it was "always busy" and attracts "countless tourists". They added: "The locals are friendly, the food is good and there's loads of decent restaurants,"

One local praised the area, saying: "The coastal walks are epic, it's fairly diverse class-wise and even in the summer when it's packed it's still a pleasant place to be, unlike Looe and St Ives which while they are both beautiful places to visit, parking is a total nightmare." Another resident added: "Who believes these soul destroyers?" Another person said: "It's not just Falmouth, it's boring all over Cornwall. It's all fur coat, no knickers."

The average house price in Falmouth is around £395,00 and detached houses can be as much as £620,000. The poll organisers claimed "the power of social media and word of mouth is what propelled Falmouth to No.1".

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The team at iLiveHere said, "We have to admit, we know absolutely nothing about Falmouth. We googled it, it looks picturesque but we're sure it's a facade it trades on, and who are we to question the wisdom of the crowd? Hell we might even take a trip to this Cornish port and stay in an Airbnb that is now owned by a London landlord that a local family once lived in, to take in what we imagine is a sterile socially cleansed fishing theme park for DFLs."

Top 20 most depressing towns in 2024

• Falmouth, Cornwall

• Peterborough, Cambridgeshire

• Aberdeen, Scotland

• Alloa, Scotland

• Tiverton, Devon

• Yeovil, Somerset

• Ellesmere Port, Cheshire

• Portsmouth, Hampshire

• Paignton, Devon

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• Crawley, West Sussex

• Luton, Bedfordshire

• Croydon, London

• Swindon, Wiltshire

• Widnes, Cheshire

• Torquay, Devon

• Teignmouth, Devon

• Blackpool, Lancashire

• Wells, Somerset

• Basingstoke, Hampshire

• Chatham, Kent

Lisa Letcher