[Closed] top 10 uk dumps...

Fort William is no braw but maybe we're being a bit harsh on the by pass planners as the railway ran along there before the by pass was built

I came here to say this also. To explain further, by the time all you visitors in your cars had reached the numbers needed to necessitate a by-pass, the town had filled the space between the sea and Cow Hill. You aren't getting a bypass inland. There is no route round the back of the hill either, the decent into Glen Nevis is bloody steep.

Basically it is because of the hills. I suggest all those who don't like Fort Bill don't visit.

I vote for London and Larkhall. Can't decide.

I remember first moving to Macclesfield after growing up in some of the less salubrious parts of Dewsbury, Halifax and Huddersfield. A work colleague showed me the areas to avoid. Oh how I laughed. The worst areas in Macc are bloody brilliant compared to some of the places I used to reside. It only seems a bit crap because it's next to Alderley Edge and Prestbury.

It must be pretty hard living in some of the south Wales former mining towns.

Croeserw anyone.

http://www.ilivehere.co.uk/croeserw.html

But I would have to vote for the whole of Bolton. Nukes from space is the only way forward.

Can you let me leave first though, I don't wanna get Nuked.

It is a depressing place. I live on the outskirts and here is dull but trouble free. Same with my mate, on the outskirts.

The centre is just awful.

Other parts of the U.K., I think it depends on what you class as bad, just needs updating or if there is high crime etc, Blackpool has been mentioned loads and I call it " the Hollywood Facade " money been spent on the front, go 2 streets back and it's high crime, drugs, bedsits etc.

Apart from a mention of Stanley I'm surprised there haven't been more NE England suggestions.
I live in Sunderland which I always thought was a featureless dump but compared to the other contenders here it suddenly seems like a cosmopolitan, cultural haven (ok, that might be pushing it just a little).

Big fan of Wales. As much is it's beautiful in parts and bleak in others, and some of the estates look rough, the locals are often brilliant.

Grew up in Aylesbury and I've called it the toilet of the Chilterns many times, however, whilst it's the worse Buckinghamshire has to offer, it's ain't bad at all and the surrounding villages I'd happily move back to - as long as I could avoid the town.

Blackpool, Carlisle and Middlesborough are the only places I've vowed never to return to; horrific places.

"Tim nice but dim" types are annoying but decidedly better than "Wayne hateful stabber" types.

given i grew up in Furruck (Thurrock), Essex - which in itself is abit of a culturless shitehole - i'm going to nominate Tilbury.

it was always an area we avoided growing up. i remember during a driving lesson having bottles thrown at the car by kids. i remember the time that a body was found in a rolled up carpet. the off-licences were literally caged up, the cashier would fetch you anything you wanted whilst you stood inside a cage within the shop.

the place has zero redeeming features, which is odd as the original Tilburys, East and West are not such bad places.

many places south of the A127 are not places i'd much like to live, but i'd take any of them over Tilbury if i had to.

Surprised by how often Barrow comes up. Yeah it's not nicest town in the country. However, you literally only need to travel a mile or two and your into some of the most stunning countryside. Also the locals I've always found to be friendly enough. For me this is the most important thing. People make the difference. (Don't live there btw before I'm accused of being biased!)

As for proper dumps:
1) Bradford- truly terrible in parts. Driven through the rough parts of town a few times. My god.Also keep reading about the number of uninsured drivers. That along with the standard of driving means i do my best to avoid certain areas.
2) Fleetwood - Some nice people but also one of the most racist places I've been! Got chased by a van full of yoofs with baseball bats too
3)Reading - Souleless.

My contribution, on places I have worked but not had to live in.
In no real particular order.

Houndslow.
East Worthing
Newtown, Wales.
Skinningrove.
Redcar.
Maltby, South Yorkshire.
Oldbury, the recycling centre of the UK. (Needs recycling!)
Goscote, Walsall.
Rugby-Newbold.
Middlesbouough.

My word, Croeserw sounds like a nice place 😀

Surprised by how often Barrow comes up. Yeah it's not nicest town in the country. However, you literally only need to travel a mile or two and your into some of the most stunning countryside.

So once you actually leave Barrow, its nice?

Dudley

Even the pigeons have left,now it's only shell suits and bull terriers.

Wow, flashbacks.

Some time in the mid 90s, I worked constructing the "soft play" units - ball pits and big plastic slides and the like. We did a huge installation in the Merry Hill centre, if anyone remembers it.

One night after work, a colleague and I set out into darkest Dudley to find something resembling a rock / biker pub and chanced upon The Angel. We naively thought, "that'll do for us." We went to the bar before really assessing our surroundings and realising that we'd essentially walked into the Slaughtered Lamb.

We decided, play it cool, don't make any sudden movements. Some dodgy bloke came over and offered us some weed. We politely declined. Play it cool, drink your drink. Someone else came over and offered us speed. No, you're all right ta.

Oh, there's a pinball table (Lethal Weapon 3, details are important), we'll have a go on that, that's a normal thing to do. No, we're ok for heroin, thanks.

A string of offers followed. Sometimes the same guy, sometimes a different one. Drugs I'd never even heard of, girls, boys if that's your thing. Finish your pint, play it cool, but we were drinking quite quickly by now.

Then a shout rang out from behind the bar, "lock the doors!" We exchanged glances which confirmed we were both thinking the same thing. Cool be damned, we set a land speed record between the bar and the exit.

Pigface - Member 
It's easy to say Newport or Merthyr, but the truth is it is only parts of those places that is really rough.

Lived in Newport briefly and actually wasn't as bad as I expected. Just steer clear of some parts. Cwmbran also and that seemed like a right dump but wasn't that bad (free parking in the town too). The experience of Slaughtered Lamb style pubs is interesting, but the locals turn out to be quite friendly.

Merthyr has a nice A&E (not to look at, but quick service and friendly staff) 😀

I've had cause to stop in Port Talbot a few times and convinced the car would be a burnt out shell as soon as my back was turned.

Anyway, have we done Aldershit yet?

CaptainFlashheart - Member
Malvern

I grew up near Ipswich...so Ipswich. Used to be quite nice, is a depressing shithole these days. Rumor has it, the reason the A140 is still single lane is to stop everyone buggering off up to Norwich instead of going to Ipswich. I'll take traffic on the A140 any day compared to Norwich road or Chantry.

Slough and Bracknell also feature pretty highly, but the winner surely has to be Luton? Or maybe Dartford. Or Romford...

Ah yes Romford.... and we've got to page 5!

I lived there for a year; never been back

i'm going to nominate Tilbury

When I was a kid I always wondered why there was a ferry from Gravesend to Tilbury, and always wondered what interesting attractions might be on the other side of the water.

The Kent side will re-take the dump crown, when they blow up SS Montgomery and build Cliffe Airport.

CaptainFlashheart - Member
Malvern

Why Malvern, Flashy? I live there so just interested in your thoughts

The Fois Gras wasn't up to standard.

3)Reading - Souleless.

Have to agree, whilst not a dump it has very little that makes me want to go into town. It's nice enough, and the tramps are friendly if you buy them coffee.

It's like a physical manifestation of internet shopping, there's no small shops. I actually buy more in the charity shops!

glasgowdan - Member

matt_outandabout - Member
Cumbernauld, wins every time.
Plus:
Ardrossan
Rotherham
Half of Glasgow

Ardrossan is the nicest of the 3 towns!

Over the last 12 yrs or so that I've lived in the area, Ardrossan has notably improved. As per Glasgow Dan the other parts of the 3Towns (Ardrossan, Saltcoats and Stevenston - so named as they are all merged together, only locals can identify the boundaries) have less going for them.

We've currently got an issue with kids coming into Ardrossan of an evening as there is more to set on fire...

Some of the small towns in the Ayrshire area are cracking wee places, others are pretty grim, but different things drive people to live in different places. I wouldn't choose Patna for example..but each to their own

Why Malvern, Flashy? I live there so just interested in your thoughts

what's not to love about Malvern? it has variety.

chavs on your way out (link and barnards green)
geeky eccentrics weirdos between there and town and hippies clinging to the hills.
lovely.

Many of the places people are mentioning are indeed soulless bleak depressing places at best but surely they don't compare to the boarded up estates in Liverpool? Some of those places are as close to genuine no go zones as the UK has to offer - Above 50% chance of having your phone stolen if you were say walking past the local shops .

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Malvern comment was aimed at one nearby resident....

😉

I don't know what Liverpool is like now but when I was last there in the 90's it was unbelievably poverty stricken in places.

Keighley might not be the best place on earth but it's certainly not the worst. For all it's problems it has a genuine identity + heart and many proud people. I would happily walk round the town without feeling threatened.

Can't say the same about Blackpool, morecambe, or others.

Most places that are close to Manchester city centre. E.g. Ashburys

Doncaster. Lived in a small village just outside donny for 4 years and can count the number of times I went into the town centre on one hand (and that's an outsider's hand, not a local's 6 finger offering).
Aids capital of Europe. EU area of extreme poverty/aid/etc (massive grants available). Wonderful place.
And yet travelling through liverpool still shocks me.

I feel I must nominate Brownhills, West Midlands. Flanked by the A5 on one side & the outskirts of Walsall on the other, it's claim to fame for a long time, was a sprawling outdoor market on a Saturday. The stench of fried food has never left, long after the market fell in to demise. At one end of the single street that forms this oasis of retail delight, is one of the most awful concrete shopping monstrosities ever constructed. The other end sat a collection of hi-rises, most gone now I think. I always felt sorry for Brownhills, its home to some good people, but it's never been able to escape it's unfortunate location on the outskirts of Walsall, & I'm not sure why. It no doubt survives on the scraps thrown out by Walsall, & that in itself must be meagre pickings. Geographically it's closer to delights such as Cannock & Chavlyn Hay. Staffordshire, sitting just metres away across the A5, must look temptingly close yet a world away. One day the good people of Brownhills will rise up & carry the town out if Walsall reach, across the A5 & into the shire of Stafford, but until then it must stay annexed to the delights of Aldridge, Bloxwich, Pelsall & Walsall Wood.

Cumbernauld, wins every time.

Where the missus is from. Crap and irredeemably soulless but a dump? Not really close to a lot of places mentioned. Maybe if NLC spent some money on the fabric rather than stupid "art" nobody asked for it might do better.

Most of the 'dumps' I know near to me are in lovely countryside, but have fallen into a downward spiral of epic proportions due to the loss of industry, mainly mining.

PATNA! (not where my family is from. Though historically Dalmellington features...) Oh, and JY's hometown.

Ardrossan

Isn't [i]that[/i] bad, have you ever seen Stevenston? Or "the Vale" for that matter?

In Govanhill that would have 12 families living in it.

Lived there about 10 years ago, was okay then but I've heard stories since I left. Grim doesn't really cover it, you forgot to mention the kids getting pimped from the close. Oh, and went to the Nautical college in the Gorbals.

Of all the places I'm familiar with that have been mentioned Govanhill is the only one that is worth nominating. The rest are just economically depressed crap.

@squirelking...I've just spent a month up at the college doing my old man's. First time in Glasgow, thought it was a fantastic city. Even the rougher parts seemed full of nice people. Fleetwood on the other hand (Mates in 2013 for 9 months)....Real dive! Sure it was nice enough back in the day. Just very sad with the loss of industry there. While I can't stand some places the people are often really good people. Just live in rough towns!

I just did a quick google streetview tour of Govanhill and was pleasantly surprised. Nice buildings, wide streets and general look of well being.

I spotted that Clacton was mentioned in this post earlier, but nearby lies Jaywick Sands. I cycled past it once on the sea front. It's like a shanty town, or a permanent travelers site.

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Personally I hate Weston Super Mare, full of brummies on holiday and local narrow minded meat headed morons.

Isnt Moffat where the Tarlair Festival used to be?
Not a bad little place if it is. Fond memories of that Festival

Hull is pretty grim although I think Grimsby may be worse. I vote for Wolverhampton (although it has improved of late), Fleetwood taking the jewel of the northwest award and Rhyl for best in Wales by narrowly beating Holyhead and Merthyr. Special mention to Birkenhead.

I've considered all those above and whilst most are worthy i believe Slough will always top the lot. You pay a lot of money there to live in a dump.

Harrogate - it's like someone gave all the worse people from the worse places listed in the previous 5 pages a lottery jackpot.

Perfect proof that you can have money and zero class.

Worked there for 5 years and pretty much there were no redeeming features about the place. Full of horrible selfish entitled arseholes.
If the modern attitude of not giving a stuff about anyone else outside of your tiny minded little world was a virus the source would be Harrogate Spa Water. Even Betty's is shit!

Ah, feel better now 🙂

I work in Harrogate and agree that it's got far more than it's fair share of utter, utter w@nkers. I tend to find the old money not too bad but it's the flash, modern all mouth and no trousers lot that stick out. My pal has lived there all his life and has some great tales to tell about this group.

Plenty of decent people too but one of the reasons I have worked there for 16 years but never moved to the town is all the bell ends.

I just did a quick google streetview tour of Govanhill and was pleasantly surprised. Nice buildings, wide streets and general look of well being.

From what I understand it's the closes and back greens you need to be looking at. But Glasgow is, on the whole, a pretty pleasant place (if frustrating) to live.