Tunbridge Wells has made a consumer magazines top 20 list of the best places in the UK to go for a staycation, but it only just made the grade.
The Royal Town ranked in Which? magazine’s Best City Breaks in the UK 2022 within the small cities and town category came 19th, beating Hastings, which came bottom.
Topping the category was the city of Wells in Somerset. The magazine gave the west country city the full five stars for lack of crowds, being an ideal place to find some peace and quiet while also enjoying value for money.
Second was St Davids in Pembrokeshire, Wales – the UK’s smallest city, which received similar plaudits for being a quiet retreat. Also making the grade was Eastbourne in East Sussex (17 on the list), and the spa city of Bath (3rd).
Leisure
To get the results, Which? surveyed 3,662 members about UK towns and cities they had visited for leisure purposes in the past year and stayed in for at least one night.
The magazine asked members to rate the food, accommodation, sights and attractions, level of crowds, and value for money at destinations across the UK.
It then gave star ratings from one to five for different aspects followed by a total ‘Staycation Score’.
Disappointingly, while Royal Tunbridge Wells received three stars for the amount and quality of accommodation in the town, as well as three stars for its lack of crowds, it received just two stars for the town’s food and drink offerings and just two stars for value for money.
As a staycation destination, the royal town was given 60 per cent. Top of the list Wells scored 88 per cent while bottom of the list Hastings received 57 per cent.
In other categories, York was ranked as the best large city for a staycation, scoring 86 per cent, while Cambridge topped the list of medium cities and towns.
Boom
Guy Hobbs, Editor of Which? said of the results: “While the UK’s stunning coastal and countryside destinations have stolen much of the glory during the recent ‘staycation’ boom, our research shows just how much the UK’s towns and cities have to offer those searching for the perfect long weekend away.
“With a world-class array of cultural and heritage sites, buzzing nightlife and culinary options to suit every budget, you’re sure to find somewhere to tempt you on Which?’s list of the best towns and cities for 2022.”
