Aylesbury takes the title of ‘worst place’… Thanks to votes from residents: Peterborough falls after three years. The poll uses testimonials from locals to determine who is victorious.

  • Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire was the most prestigious town for its genteel gardens.
  • Peterborough, the ‘winner,’ has fallen from its perch.
  • Huddersfield was second in the iLiveHere poll for two consecutive years.
  • The cathedral city of Canterbury is a surprising 12th entry 










When ranking the most dangerous places to live in England, it might not be the one that comes to mind.

But Aylesbury, the seemingly genteel garden town in Buckinghamshire, has taken the unenviable title – after its own residents contributed to an online poll.

Peterborough has been relegated to the bottom of the iLiveHere annual list.

Over 110,000 people voted for Aylesbury in the poll. However, Aylesbury’s residents weren’t so kind.

It might not be the first place that springs to mind when ranking the worst places to live in England. But Aylesbury, the seemingly genteel garden town in Buckinghamshire, has taken the unenviable title – after its own residents contributed to an online poll (pictured: Market Square, Aylesbury)

The worst place to live in England might not be it. But Aylesbury, the seemingly genteel garden town in Buckinghamshire, has taken the unenviable title – after its own residents contributed to an online poll (pictured: Market Square, Aylesbury)

This is the top 20 list 

1. Aylesbury

2. Huddersfield

3. Luton 

4. Liverpool

5. Peterborough

6. Bolton

7. Corby

8. Jaywick

9. Slough

10. Bradford

11. Didcot

12. Canterbury

13. Oldham

14. Blackpool

15. Blackburn

16. Rochdale

17. Croydon

18. Grimsby

19. Dover

20. Chatham 

One person wrote, “If you are a middle-to-upper class family looking to relocate to Aylesbury then you should hire four security guards full time and have a dog. You also need some wire and barbed wire to secure your home.” A second wrote that you’ll find yourself in a jam as soon as you arrive at Aylesbury. It’s part of the tour, but don’t be discouraged. It’s a great way to see the beauty in all of those ‘trashy residents’.

Peterborough’s residents will feel relieved when their title is taken by someone from the Home Counties. Aylesbury boasts many historical parts, and it was a prominent market town in Anglo Saxon days.

Peterborough is now in fifth place relative to respectability.

Huddersfield came in second for the second consecutive year. One contributor described Huddersfield as having a high BMI. [body mass index]Minimum 30′ is required to reside in West Yorkshire.

Another resident made the acerbic comment: ‘Not all of Huddersfield is bad… just 70 per cent of it.’ You can find many posts on iLiveHere from residents complaining about the plight of their home cities. It is rare to find a British location that has not been condemned in at least one of the posts on the website.

There are many familiar faces on the 2022 List of England’s 50 Worst Places to Live in England. Luton, Liverpool, Bolton and Bradford feature in the top ten, along with Slough – the infamous setting of Ricky Gervais’s BBC sitcom The Office and of which Sir John Betjeman wrote: ‘Come, friendly bombs, and fall on Slough. It’s not suitable for human consumption. The magnificent cathedral city, Canterbury is however the most striking entry.

They are poor and seem to only want peace from church bells.

Huddersfield (pictured) was in second place for a second year, with one contributor describing 'a BMI [body mass index] of 30' as a minimum requirement to live in the West Yorkshire town.

Huddersfield, (pictured) came in second for the second year. A contributor called it ‘a high BMI. [body mass index]Minimum 30’ is required to reside in West Yorkshire.

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