Close your eyes. Take a deep breath. Picture a place where you can put all your stress behind you, let go of any tension and go full zen mode. Were you imagining somewhere by the sea? Us too. There’s just something about being next to shimmering waters and lapping waves that instills a sense of calm in even the most agitated of people. And, unsurprisingly, a coastal town has just been crowned the UK’s most ‘relaxing’.
That’s according to Parkdean Resorts, which has done research into stuff like cleanliness, the quality of green spaces, local safety, population density and light and noise pollution in different towns across the country to determine which is the most tranquil (and that happens to be home to one of its holiday parks).
The place that came top of the list was the Devon village of Bigbury-on-Sea. It has just 484 people per 10km and scored 73.61 for the quality of its green spaces. Based in an official Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, with the largest beach in south Devon and surrounded by Dartmoor and Exmoor National Park, it earned an overall score of 76.
Across the way, you’ve got Burgh Island, a favourite haunt of Agatha Christie, where you can relax even deeper at the Time Out approved Burgh Island Hotel. At low tide, you can walk to the island via a sandy pathway but at high tide it becomes accessible only by boat or sea tractor.
The coastal town of Cresswell in Northumberland was named the UK’s second most relaxing town by Parkdean Resorts while Clitheroe in Lancashire landed in third.
The UK’s ‘most relaxing’ towns, according to Parkdean Resorts
- Bigbury-on-Sea, Devon
- Cresswell, Northumberland
- Clitheroe, Lancashire
- Gloucester, Gloucestershire
- Heysham, Lancashire
- Pendine, Wales
- Morecambe, Lancashire
- Lancaster, Lancashire
- Mersea Island, Essex
- St Minver, Cornwall
- York, Yorkshire
- Skipsea, Yorkshire
- Chester, Cheshire
- Withernsea, Yorkshire
- Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire
Need to unwind?
Treat yourself and take your pic from one of Time Out’s favourite spas in the country. Or, you could book onto one of the UK’s best wellbeing breaks and yoga retreats or plan a stay in one of the UK’s most romantic places.
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Plus: The 10 best cheap UK holiday destinations right now.
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