This time of year, lots of Britain’s best cities and most beautiful places are at their noisiest and most crowded. Although you’ve gone there for a bit of respite, you find yourself elbowing through gaggles of other tourists, waiting an ungodly amount of time for a parking space and being turned away from restaurant after restaurant. Not really the summer break you were after, eh?
So, you’re in the market for a holiday of proper peace and quiet? If you want to get away and really revel in the sound of silence, the Telegraph says that St Agnes on the Isles of Scilly is your best bet.
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The paper looked into Ordnance Survey data and found that St Agnes is the most sparsely populated place in the whole of the UK, with just 83 registered addresses. It’s also the least-visited of the Isles of Scilly, so you don’t have to worry about loads of day tripping tourists either. You can reach the islet via a 75-minute boat ride from St Mary’s for £14 return.
Once there, the Telegraph recommends that you walk the coastal footpaths, watch out for dolphins, Manx shearwaters and grey seals, indulge in some homemade ice cream from Troytown Farm (which also has what the site calls the ‘best view that you’ll find from a campsite anywhere in England’), browse local jewellery and art pieces at the Pot Buoys gallery and grab a pint overlooking the harbour at the Turks Head – the most south westerly pub in the British Isles.
St Agnes’ beaches are probably the most rugged and untamed of the Isles of Scilly beaches. But that’s certainly not to say they’re not beautiful. Admire the stunning, unobstructed views and hear nothing but the sound of lapping waves at the Bar, Beady Pool or Periglis Cove.
ICYMI: The most beautiful village in England.
Plus: One of the most beautiful nature reserves in Britain is just two hours from London.
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