Does Christmas feel like a distant memory? Summer a long way off? Well, you’re not alone in feeling blue.
As we experience the effects of a harsh winter and the cost of living crisis, many are in desperate need of a break away.
With this in mind, experts at Iceheadshop.co.uk sought to discover which town/village is the most peaceful destination in the UK.
An index was created by compiling a seed list of peaceful locations, and then analysing weighted variables including; crime rates, Instagram hashtags (low number = more peaceful), population and peaceful outdoor activities. Combining these to establish an overall peace score out of 100 for each of the 53 analysed locations. Thus revealing the top 10 most peaceful UK destinations.
The UK’s most peaceful destinations
| Rank | Peaceful destination | Population | Crime rate (per 1,000 inhabitants) | Hiking trails | Bird watching trails | Fishing trails | Instagram Hashtags | Peace Score (/100) |
| #1 | Bassenthwaite, Cumbria | 481 | 63 | 39 | 29 | 11 | 100 | 86.62 |
| #2 | Dartmouth, Devon | 5,062 | 42 | 27 | 13 | 3 | 10,500 | 85.26 |
| #3 | Over Haddon, Peak District | 255 | 17 | 12 | 6 | 0 | 1000 | 83.69 |
| #4 | Broadway, Worcestershire | 2,540 | 37 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 1000 | 78.97 |
| #5 | Bakewell, Derbyshire | 3,949 | 49 | 13 | 5 | 0 | 1000 | 77.22 |
| #6 | Portmeirion, Gwynedd | 2,150 | 45 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 100 | 76.65 |
| #7 | Reeth, North Yorkshire | 724 | 12 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 16,000 | 76.57 |
| #8 | Kingswear, Devon | 1,217 | 17 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 37,200 | 71.19 |
| #9 | Mullion, Cornwall | 2,114 | 27 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 24,600 | 70.35 |
| #10 | Hathersage, Derbyshire | 1,433 | 55 | 19 | 4 | 0 | 32,200 | 68.99 |
To view the full dataset, please click here.
Iceheadshop.co.uk can reveal that Bassenthwaite, a village in Cumbria, is the most peaceful UK destination, with a peace score of 86.62 out of 100. The area, part of the Lake District, is home to 39 hiking trails and 29 bird watching trails. No doubt many are around the Bassenthwaite lake which is an important habitat for many wild animals in the area. Of all the areas in the research, it has the fewest number of Instagram hashtags (100), giving it ‘hidden gem’ status! Although at 66 crimes per 1,000 inhabitants, it has the highest crime rate of the areas in the top 10.
Photo Credit: Veronique Stone/Shutterstock
Dartmouth, Devon ranks as the second most peaceful destination for a staycation, with an impressive peace score of 85.26 out of 100 alongside the second highest number of hiking trails (27).
Located in the Peak District, Over Haddon stands as the third most peaceful location to visit. This quiet village has a population of just 255 inhabitants and resides within cascading hills and dales, scoring 83.69 out of 100. There are 12 hiking trails in the area to amble down and an accompanying 6 trails for birdwatching.
Following closely behind among the most peaceful UK staycation destinations are the village of Broadway (78.97), the market town of Bakewell (77.22), and the Welsh tourist village of Portmeirion (76.65) respectively ranking fourth, fifth and sixth.
In seventh place is the rustically charming village of Reeth, North Yorkshire with a peaceful score of 76.57 and rather fittingly the smallest population size of 724 inhabitants. Not only does this affirm it as a natural environment perfect for spotting wildlife, it is also ideal for a break away from the hustle and bustle of city life. With 12 hiking trails you won’t be short of exploration options to fill your time.
Completing the ranking in tenth is Hathersage, Derbyshire which gains a peace score of 68.99/100. On arrival, you will instantly be met by idyllic rolling hills that wouldn’t be out of place on a watercolour painting. With a mixture of pubs, antique shops, and restaurants, to suit any visitor, Hathersage does not fall short of places to relax with a pint or pub grub after exploring along one or two of the 19 hiking trails.
Methodology
- Iceheadshop.co.uk sought to determine the UK’s most peaceful staycations.
- A seed list of over 50 popular locations was collated via reputable travel and lifestyle pages including: Coast magazine, Secret London, House Beautiful and Cosmopolitan.
- Proceeding the collection our seed list, population estimates, crime rates and nature trail counts for each destination were analysed.
- Each location’s crime rates for 2021 were sourced through crime rate, gov.scot and streetcheck data. Crime rates of representative nearby towns were used where rates for the town in question were unavailable.
- Population estimates were collected through Wikipedia and all nature trail data was collected via Alltrails.
- The number of Instagram hashtags for each destination was collected. A low number equals a more peaceful destination (‘hidden gem’)
- A weighted and normalised score using the aforementioned variables was then calculated to provide a staycation peacefulness score for each location analysed. Crime rates took precedence over the other factors favouring locations with lower crime rates more favourably.
- The scores were ultimately ranked in descending order, thus uncovering the most peaceful UK destinations for a staycation.
All data was collected June 2022 and is accurate as of then.
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