The Cambridgeshire city of Peterborough often gets a bad rap and it’s once again had its reputation attacked by voters in a recent poll deciding Britain’s “most depressing towns”.
In the vote, run by ilivehere.com, participants were asked to pick the worst town (or small city) to live in the country and although Peterborough didn’t come an unwanted first, it came pretty close.
The top five “most depressing” places as decided by the voters were: Tiverton, Devon; Alloa, Clackmannanshire; Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire; Peterborough, Cambridgeshire and Falmouth in Cornwall.
Despite being spared from the title by Falmouth, Peterborough was nevertheless referred to by the writers at ilivehere.com as “the Cambridgeshire synonym for depression”.
Although the writers’ assessment may appear harsh, according to their yearly poll, the city regularly claims top spot as the country’s least desirable place to live.
It held the title from 2018 to 2021, before coming fourth in 2022, second last year and second again in 2024.
However, with exceptional transport links to London as well as fantastic history to boast, Peterborough’s unfortunate tagline may be unwarranted.
The city has a stunning Norman cathedral, a Bronze Age site at Flag Flen Archaeological Park, nearby Burghley House, and the gorgeous Peterborough Sculpture Trail.
The city has plenty of green space to boot, including the Ferry Meadows Country Park. Bucking the sentiment of voters in the poll, visitors have raved about their time in Peterborough.
One tourist, Anne, wrote of the breathtaking cathedral on TripAdvisor: “The cathedral is beautiful and feels like an island of serenity in the centre of Peterborough.”
Another said: “I recommend a visit to Peterborough Cathedral. The cathedral is around a ten minute walk from the train station and easy to find. It is a large cathedral and can be explored alone but I definitely recommend booking a guided tour. I was able to book online beforehand at £5.”
A third visitor said of the city’s museum and art centre: “Interesting little museum. Friendly reception on (free) entry and we found it very enlightening as regards Peterborough and especially its Napoleonic prison.”
A fourth said of the Ferry Meadows Country Park: “A perfect place. This was beautiful and the perfect retreat after a business meeting. The walks are lovely and the staff at the coffee shop were friendly and accommodating. I will definitely visit again if I am in the area.”
Peterborough City Council has been approached for comment.
