The prettiest town in the UK has been named — and it’s only an hour away from London

From Thurso in Scotland to Truro in Cornwall, the UK has an impressive array of towns that are well worth a visit.

But if you’re after a day trip to a picture-perfect place, where should you go?

Well, the UK’s prettiest towns have been ranked, and the top spot was claimed by Lewes, in Sussex.

With it’s quaint medieval streets, impressive castle and beautiful parks, you could spend hours mooching around here.

And the best part? It’s just an hour away from London.

The list was revealed by The Telegraph, who asked a group of travel experts to rank Britain’s towns from ugliest to prettiest, based on factors such as shopfront aesthetics, historic architecture, traffic levels, litter volume and the number of viewpoints.

The East Sussex town came out on top with an average rating of 46. It was follows by Queensferry, West Lothian, in Scotland in second place with a score of 45, and St David’s, Pembrokeshire, Wales, which scored 44. 

However, there were some British towns that didn’t fair so well. Down at the bottom of the list was Slough, with the worst score of just 12.

The experts wrote of the Berkshire town: ‘[The] High Street has been rated one of the unhealthiest in the UK for its preponderance of takeways and lack of leisure facilities, and pound shops colonise the stores that cling on in boxy 20th-century shop fronts.’ Ouch.

Methyr Tydfil in Wales was the second ugliest town, and Telfrod, Shropshire came in at third.

What’s so good about Lewes?

Lewes is a quaint mediaeval town nestled in the Sussex countryside, and, to be fair, it is really pretty.

With a historic high street, a castle, bustling Christmas markets and acres of green space, the traditional market town is certainly a top contender for most beautiful places in the UK.

Plus, it was named best place to live in Sussex for 2023, which is partly down to its banging local beer and even more banging bonfire night celebrations — the biggest in the country. 

How to get to Lewes from London

The two best ways to get from London to Lewes is by train or car — but the train is more than twice as fast as driving. 

You can get from London Victoria Lewes in just over an hour. Tickets cost around £6 when you book in advance. 

It takes around 2-and-a-half hours to drive from London to Lewes following the A2.

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