The most depressing place in South East England

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[@DaveDVideoMaker]

Sheerness is the hometown of the aesshol Doctor Bitching, who shut down 1/3 of our railways between 1963 and 1972.

[@john_smith1471]

@Beno: North Essex is very different to the places you mentioned, lots of history, villages and market towns like Thaxted, Saffron Walden, Finchingfield, Lovejoy was filmed in North Essex locations.

[@jakewynn]

couldn't click on here faster, I think that Milton Keynes is definitely the worse.

[@AndrewG1989]

Even Basildon and Harlow as well.

[@urban_fox_cub_urbex]

Mk isn’t south east it’s north

[@jakewynn]

@@urban_fox_cub_urbex Look at the map at the start, it is North on there but the entirety of the map is the south-east.

[@jordandurham8951]

Before the video starts, It's Jaywick isn't it?

[@GaryWhite-jf7zr]

I grew up in Dartford and I agree with your comments and would add that it's also full of thieves. I did notice that the Medway area of Kent never made it to your video, it should have done. Also Sittingbourne, both of them are far more horrible than poor old Tonbridge.

[@YeahIDontKn0wEither]

Gotta mention Crawley too. As an Australian, if Gatwick Airport didn't exist, me and my dad would never even need to treat that place as relevent when I was visiting the country at 10.

[@hesterclapp9717]

Beno: I don't like Milton Keynes because there's no lifts.

[@OBGuy]

By chance are you american?

[@gabrielstravels]

In my local area, other places I'm not keen on are Crawley, Burgess Hill, Aldershot, Farnborough and Bognor Regis

[@matthewwalker8197]

one thing about essex that was interesting (iv never been).. was its cold war era siren network that was used incase of flooding.. but.. of corse.. they got rid of it in about.. 2010 or 2011 ? i think ??.. as well as they hired bad contractors to remove the sirens.. though i do belive i own one of them so least thats saved

[@1Starsky11]

Can we get a video of your most exciting places in South East England?

[@LucavlogsandgamingOFFICIAL]

And I have a list! Uckfield Lewes Brighton Eastbourne Portsmouth Chichester Crawley Tunbridge wells Dover

[@annhollowell5352]

You forgot to add Surrey. I love Surrey. I'm an ex Londoner.

[@goldenboat9106]

@@annhollowell5352 There's not much in Surrey worth seeing bar Dorking & Reigate....

[@annhollowell5352]

@@goldenboat9106 I disagree. Surrey is a stunningly beautiful county , with more woodland than the rest of England , surprisingly !!.

[@goldenboat9106]

@@annhollowell5352 *Only applies if you don't get nonced in Redhill

[@tobeytransport2802]

They do have busses and cycleways in Milton Keynes. My girlfriend has been to Milton Keynes more than me and she takes the bus using here free bus pass

[@Queen-of-Swords]

I've lived in Sheerness quite a few times the last time for 5 years. Which I regarded as being a lot like serving a prison sentence. The people are totally backwards and narrow minded. Nightmare.

[@dangerous8333]

I'm willing to bet they are completely normal, reasonable and down the Earth. Unlike some anarchist hipster twat

[@user-iu5my9tr3n]

Narrow minded, about what?

[@CrosswalkerOfficial]

I didnt think milton Keynes was that bad. It looks worse than I thought

[@urban_fox_cub_urbex]

It’s north and not even south east

[@StraightOuttaPaddock]

Been there once for few days, some parts are looking cool, some parts are just slums, drugs and party all the time

[@AndrewG1989]

Milton Keynes is South Midlands

[@___-000]

@@urban_fox_cub_urbex it is not North

[@___-000]

Northern cities: Newcastle, Carlisle, Kendal, Penrith, Berwick-upon-Tweed

[@therealvbw]

Milton Keynes has the milestones museum, a building full of interesting displays from various time periods, that alone is a reason to go there

[@Harryongorillatag]

Exactly

[@ratbagkennedy]

I would say the Medway towns (I know, technically that's multiple answers.), but I can't quite bring myself to slate it even if it is a bad place. I grew up there for the first 18 years of my life, but I managed to escape in 2007. Phew!

[@gracenoon6769]

I strongly agree

[@firstthingsfast9292]

I can remember one thing about slough. I was going to get a TV from a freind that lives in west london. But the M4 was closed between slough and the M25. The amount of traffic lights was horrendous. I thought the UK was famous for its roundabouts. Not in Slough! It took 2 HOURS to get through slough because of all these traffic lights and the M4 closure. 0/10 Would not recomend.

[@Simulation101YT]

*Has anyone remembered Jaywick???*

[@pimpz7409]

No one remembers Jaywick

[@wendyburrows4178]

​@pimpz7409 I do, we used to holiday there every year back in the late 60's and early 70's. We loved it, there were some grotty digs around there,but you avoided them. When you're a kid, you accept things as is I guess. We just loved the sea and the beach. Ditto Margate which were day trips.

[@EverydayEverything360]

The fact that on MK1's website they say that they're "just a 10-minute drive from the heart of Milton Keynes". XD

[@daveloweuk]

Milton Keynes - Superman IV was filmed there.

[@dragonbutt]

The most depressing place in south east england? Thats easy. YES.

[@TheArkamedBat]

For me is Faversham

[@annhollowell5352]

I'd say Luton or Southall.

[@doveronefoxtrot4417]

London Borough of Newham.

[@therealchayd]

hehe yeah, it's all flyovers, junctions and kebab shops.

[@thelightingenthusiast]

As somebody who lives in Newham, I can definitely agree it’s one of the worst places to live in. The council is incompetent, it’s almost impossible to get through to anybody, not to mention they frequently hand out parking tickets. Streets are rundown, filthy and littered as all hell. Only upside about Newham in my opinion is the Olympic Park and Westfield. Everything else is rubbish.

[@OneKnifeYeHand]

Looking at Ben's video and at the comment section, I get the impression that there's not even one place in the UK that's not depressing lol

[@therealchayd]

I think it's because us Brits are a cynical moany lot lol!

[@GetLifty]

Milton Keynes is quite fun for the starship robots. Luckily they moved over to Northampton (where I live) so I dont have to go there to try it.

[@bermal209]

northampton gang

[@subwayexpress465]

They will soon turn gravesend around, a huge theme park resort will open in 2024

[@transporttechnologykent5829]

Trust me they will never open that up. It was supposed to be finished this year and construction hasn’t started yet! I was excited about it but my excitement has now dropped. I live right next to the grounds. Now I think that the new Ebbsfleet Cross housing estate will take over

[@transporttechnologykent5829]

@@serailtech Idk but I think you’ve also got a local bus route. It’s the B but that will be hella overcrowded

[@john_smith1471]

Frinton on Sea is a nice Essex seaside town, a contrast to Clacton.

[@AndrewG1989]

I agree.

[@blockvidsmore5316]

Most depressing areas: The north of heathrow and around the airport, it is horrible and deprived.

[@ELPaso1990TX]

I like Heathrow area. Watching the planes landing and loads of hotels in that area. Also a great aircraft model shop in West Drayton.

[@ryangordon3011]

@Beno its not just essex built on waste land Bicester in Oxfordshire was built on wasteland including its village

[@benomach4227]

Best parts of Essex, Epping Forest, Buckhurst Hill,

[@Mike-77-YT]

Makes me pretty lucky I live in Manchester and Eccles... oh, wait. maybe I'll stick to Manchester. In Eccles, the Salford City Council have pretty poor response to some serious problems and EVEN GARBAGE DISPOSAL, the bins and recycling at my flats still haven't been emptied, which is environmentally unfriendly. Another thing, I haven't been to Milton Keynes, except for the train station, changing from a cross country train (Voyager) to a London Midland train (Desiro). Plus, my dad doesn't particularly like the central part of Manchester; parking's confusing and expensive and the road layout's confusing. I remember there used to be an old game store in the Affleck's building and the Gobstoppers store, a haven for sourcing American sweets. but both of them are gone, the one in afflecks migrated and Gobstoppers shut down to bankruptcy, resulting the shutdown of all their stores and website. though their Twitter account still lingers and has never made an update, ever.

[@emporioalnino4670]

Opinions on Bury St Edmunds?

[@AndrewG1989]

I’d say that Isle of Sheppey. Because it’s got everything. I dear you to do Jaywick, Essex. Plus I like Billericay it’s not that bad. And Canvey Island is full of yobs.

[@ryangordon3011]

Loads of people are on drugs 💉 in Jaywick

[@AndrewG1989]

@@ryangordon3011 Yp

[@BluestarFanOfficial]

They need the Bluestar Breathe Air filter bus in the puolitied city's

[@bermal209]

please do this across all of britain

[@therealchayd]

It's technically East of England, but I would add Haverhill in Suffolk, dull dull dull; No rail links, pretty much only two main roads connect to it, and those are just single carriageways. Miles from anywhere, no real interesting industry (unless you count chemicals and fabrics), a pretty much tiny unchanging town centre, surrounded by miles of housing estate sprawl. It has slightly improved over the past 20 years, but not enough. I would've said Hatfield or Stevenage, but at least they have decent transport links and interesting aerospace industries.

[@subwayexpress465]

Beno, if you could live in any country in Europe, where would you live?

[@MrJohnQCitizen]

you might be interested in a film on the BFI player about Basildon. You can see it for free if you sign up to their 2 week trial

[@SteeleJackOutdoors]

Sheerness 😂 it’s like it was just forgotten! Shame, it could be lovely.

[@revkingracing84]

How TF is Banbury not mentioned

[@Maurice-Navel]

I think the weirdest English town name is "Burnham on Crouch." (Is it a form of execution?)

[@Emma-py8qe]

😂

[@AndrewG1989]

Southminster hasn’t got much to look at and Maldon is kind of boring lol

[@realfrowz]

@@AndrewG1989 HOW DARE IT TRY TO COPY WESTMINSTER! ◇joking◇

[@raychambers3646]

I think you mean Pratts Bottom.Nasty.

[@ukliftandtransportenthusia6741]

Will you do a most depressing place I south west England?

[@MaidaValeTom]

South West England tends to be pretty good in terms of depressing places, There aren’t too many. Gloucester isn’t brilliant, but not too bad. Plymouth seems like a really nice city, despite the fact that it’s sometimes lacking reputation. Bristol is really nice, as is Bath. Cornwall is pretty much all good

[@lollol6812]

Ebbsfleet.... doesnt deserve eurostar and HS1 to stop there

[@UnhingedNarrative]

Then it will stop at Gravesend.

[@EverydayEverything360]

The only thing I like about Slough is the grotty 2-3 star cinema, the massive Tesco which is still nothing special and the shopping centre, mostly just for the lifts.

[@RobR386]

You forgot Clacton, really depressing now

[@AndrewG1989]

Jaywick is worse. And Walton-on-the-Naze. Completely boring seaside town except for its famous Walton Pier lol

[@oldtechnobodycaresabout]

I can't believe you didn't mention Ashford

[@BsBsBock]

In Germany it’s Hagen and Salzgitter

[@sonic2batt]

To be fair, it's perpetually overcast in England , where is it not grim or gloomy?

[@milehighclassics]

Totally agree but I lived in croydon and I live in Milton Keynes, ITS THE BEST KEPT SECRET IN ENGLAND

[@SummerADDE_Elevators]

Slough got me thinking about grimy and slimy stuff. yuck!

[@chriswilliamson590]

Brilliant Beno well said. I love this channel.

[@thatcornishcockney]

LOL... we had a chalet on laysdown in the 90s....

[@scottsliftsX1]

Every single place you’ve said has a lift I want to see LOL

[@richfish101]

I never thought I’d stick up for MK but you’re wrong, it’s nice with things spread out and plenty of trees. Not enough lifts though I guess for you 😁

[@uiriamu4242]

Essex isn’t south east england?

[@alfiemeadows3541]

If their was a list for the worst places in the east of England Peterborough would be number 1

[@pimpz7409]

I was offered a House in Hull once, I told them I would rather not live than to live in Hull

[@gabrielstravels]

3:02 I agree, Haywards Heath isn't the best. Much prefer its little towns that surround it, such as Cuckfield and Lindfield

[@tjmlifts8645]

Haywards Heath is so depressing

[@umm_rm]

haywards heath is a pure shithole

[@gabrielstravels]

Nearby Burgess Hill isn't the best either - but we also have some great cities, towns and villages like Horsham (where I live), Brighton, Chichester, Guildford, Reigate, Worthing, Eastbourne and Hastings!

[@mrhaggit]

Grays should have been on there, although out of them sheerness wins

[@AndrewG1989]

Same with Tilbury

[@heragram]

I don’t like tonbridge because were no lift

[@Internationalcartoons4063]

Obviously Enfield, because my place is now a generic paradise. Also all the best street lights, such as Philips MA and CU lamp posts are now replace and modernized. I'm already bored and upset and it also explains why I like exploring out of Enfield.

[@BogdanSerban]

Enfield (the town) is one of the last places near London where you can see Brits.

[@urban_fox_cub_urbex]

Enfield is north london not south east think u have missed the point about this video “”south east””

[@Internationalcartoons4063]

@@BogdanSerban Even if it's north it still suck... but I think you made your point.

[@FNUKSTER1366]

You forgot medway Ben 🤣

[@crazyleyland5106]

North Essex isn't flat, but has gentle hills, and various market towns that have greatly overexpanded. With estates for people escaping out of London, who can kid themselves they're in the countryside. Well most of the developments have "Meadows" in the name. A property developers' paradise, as all the councils capitulate to the Government's demands for houses. Mostly for posh twats (not many affordable) and you must have a car. If you do not have a car you are not normal. So a lot of the town centres have become chav places. Nb Harlow has a tower block that was officially Britain's first; The Lawn.

[@carparkcampers8407]

Kent ?

[@AndrewG1989]

Canterbury, Maidstone, Tonbridge and Rochester are ok.

[@dykodesigns]

Slough, isn’t that a very infamous place? I’ve heard it was grim and supposedly a place with high crime rates (according to some TV shows). The name is familiar though, I seem to remember the name Slough from an address in the instruction manuals of various games from the defunct publisher “Acclaim Entertainment”. They where quite infamous though.

[@john_smith1471]

The British tv series 'The Office' was set in Slough. Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet and other Gerry Anderson shows were made in Slough, the Mars chocolate factory was in Slough, Windsor Castle is very near Slough, the Queen is staying there now instead of London, Poet John Betjeman wrote a poem about Slough. Will Hay is in a 1942 film, he is a British double agent instructing German agents planning an invasion how to pronounce English town names, the Germans keep mispronouncing Slough and call it Sluff.

[@EdgyNumber1]

Mate, you've never been to Tilbury.

[@ytzaika]

Chatham or Maidstone Chatham full of chavs and some shops have been closed for years Maidstone is better but like we have like that top floor of checkers

[@benolifts]

Nowadays I find Maidstone very boring. There is pretty much nothing of interest for me there anymore. All of the vintage lifts are now gone. The little interesting corners to the town have stopped being interesting. The Shopping Center has pretty much lost its charm. All of the interesting shops that I liked because they had unusual features to them (C&H, BHS, House of Fraser, Army & Navy) have all gone. Maidstone has nothing left for me anymore.

[@ytzaika]

@@benolifts yeah

[@james-nd8kp]

southend on sea or Jaywick or Dover or u can look at where i live in Northern Ireland that's worse

[@JP_TaVeryMuch]

Agree about the fresh injection of bloodlines facilitated by the new bridge (out of) Sheppey, but Essex is not just the plastic surgery of the bits near London. It's not all the inanity of "The Shoogarut." If you venture north, Essex has some of the finest countryside in England. The painter Constable rather liked it.

[@tobeytransport2802]

4:05 when I went on a HS1 up to london a couple of chavs got on and played their music at full blast

[@georgeh-w5041]

What about Watford?

[@AndrewG1989]

Football club is 💩

[@LucavlogsandgamingOFFICIAL]

What about Worthing lol, worthing is just depressing. But thankfully they have knocked down the depressing abandoned shops

[@LorFire]

Watford is nice lol

[@davidrobert2007]

All aboard the Jaywick express!

[@ryangordon3011]

All abroad the Frinton Express

[@user-ev3bh2rg2o]

All of these 3 express 🤣

[@thelightingenthusiast]

London Borough of Newham is also one of the worst places to live in from a personal standpoint. Firstly, the council is incompetent. Just take a look at all the negative star reviews on Google and you’ll see that almost all of them are mentioning the exact same thing. Secondly, the council loves handing out parking tickets. Thirdly, you’ll often find that streets are rundown, filthy and littered. The only saving grace in my opinion is the Olympic Park and Westfield shopping centre.

[@Eunos]

I find Chatham pretty damn depressing.

[@benolifts]

I find the people in Chatham depressing. Rather than playing spot the chav, you have to play spot who isn't a chav. It will be a long time before you will spot a non-chav. Thats how bad it is. But the town itself has history which is why it isn't on the list.

[@ryangordon3011]

Loads of grotty buildings about in chavham

[@bakedbeanishdragon]

@@benolifts i suppose for all it's faults, medway has a lot of history. I ended up in dartford after attempting a massive bike ride and getting a flat tyre just outside the town, and it was so utterly depressing, even the McDonald's tasted bad, it just left a very bad mark in my mind.

[@transporttechnologykent5829]

@@bakedbeanishdragon I hate Dartford! That’s why I chose a school in Gravesend instead

[@NXEAFrenchie]

Me too sad im moving there

[@frdavid755]

I love Maldon in Essex. I hate Brighton. It is a slum. However, they are very good at demolishing nice buildings and creating ghastly ones.

[@Jamie_Burgess]

Beno, how about Hemel Hempstead? It is comprehensively depressing. Living there for two years was enough - I left the country never to return again.

[@user-jl9to6zh1q]

Are those crazy roundabouts still there ?...

[@AndrewG1989]

@@user-jl9to6zh1q Not to mention Swindon with the most confusing roundabout 😂

[@loobylou1471]

I think Tonbridge is but this my opinion it has 1 lifts only lift in that town is the disgusting train station lift

[@hesterclapp9717]

Hemel Hempstead's quite grim and Luton's just shit

[@carparkcampers8407]

London ?

[@Internationalcartoons4063]

If you're looking for the worst place in london, it's Enfield.

[@DaveDVideoMaker]

Gallows Corner is in the Greater London area, but from a post office point of view, it’s in Essex. Note that it used to be in the Essex county prior to April 1965.

[@transporttechnologykent5829]

@@Internationalcartoons4063 Enfield is very miserable

[@AndrewG1989]

People say that most parts of London is a shithole. But not all of London isn't bad.

[@juliancromwell6909]

@@Internationalcartoons4063 Thamesmead far worse.

[@melom8276]

public executions are epic

[@benlamprell6153]

I agree but I think you should of mentioned Maidstone

[@DrFrumplesteinZ]

shithole

[@tobeytransport2802]

For me (a Kentish boy) anything north of london or west of Hampshire isn’t part of the south east

[@Landie_Man]

I’m a Bucks boy. South east starts at Northampton.

[@jasonparfitt5936]

Try Jaywick Sands mate

[@kkrispy2009P]

You just offended all ppl in sheerness we are not inbread thanks beno :-(

[@benolifts]

Are you 100% sure about that!

[@annhollowell5352]

@@benolifts Love to know where you're from....

[@riceboi7867]

I live in Dartford... it’s awful

[@UnhingedNarrative]

DARTFORD BUS CRASH IS WORSE. I THINK WHERE YOU LIVE IS GOOD. WHERE YOU LIVE IS SIMILAR TO GRAVESEND, WHERE I GREW UP.

[@blockvidsmore5316]

Where's Chatham?

[@AndrewG1989]

Between Rochester and Gillingham.

[@blockvidsmore5316]

@@AndrewG1989 no no, i meant why is chatham not on here

[@juliancromwell6909]

@@blockvidsmore5316 Think you missed the joke there...

[@AndrewG1989]

@@blockvidsmore5316 good point

[@Isaac-re2il]

Cuxton should be on here it's a suburban hellscape

[@russelD9]

Gravesend wasnt that bad when we lived there I will admit

[@william9apr]

Milton Keynes I hate that place!

[@AndrewG1989]

Indeed

[@Bryan-M]

Essex is definitely not flat.

[@biglads4tw]

Missed out Luton

[@benolifts]

Luton is pretty bad, but the busway is nice

[@AndrewG1989]

And Bracknell, Berkshire lol

[@windowsxpnt2347]

It’s decent

[@AndrewG1989]

@@windowsxpnt2347 What Luton or Bracknell?

[@transporttechnologykent5829]

@@benolifts It is counted as one of the worst places to live in the UK

[@corruptedshinnok9831]

Aldershot Hampshire

[@AndrewG1989]

I think Aldershot is ok tbh

[@NXEAFrenchie]

Wait Romford don’t say that to my HOME TOWNA

[@rileyludlow961]

Kent is depressing. Medway Council ruinined my area. BRING BACK THE MEDWAY TRAMS!!!! I would if I was able to.

[@marcp3788]

Milton Keynes isn't south east

[@benolifts]

I count it as the south east

[@stephenridley1153]

LONDON!

[@gycuk1173]

great yarmouth

[@ryangordon3011]

Great Yarmouth Posh

[@AndrewG1989]

Great Yarmouth is ok. Cromer is lovely. King's Lynn is ok. Norwich is ok but some parts are rough. Diss is beautiful. Bungay is very quaint and Lowestoft is kind of ok. I used to live near Norwich before I moved to Essex. And I currently live in Benfleet which isn't as bad.

[@Azrael1st]

Britian is the most depressing country in the world.

[@kacperdolega8771]

Heard of North Korea

[@ElTipoEspañol]

Disagreed on Slough.

[@ELPaso1990TX]

Northumberland and Tyneside are very depressing. Visited there once and very depressing places like Blyth, Bedlington etc. Depressing flat landscape too with wind turbines everywhere.

[@jt-bg6ey]

If you want inbred you should look where I live in sherburn in elmet

[@MaxsTrainspotting]

Basildon defo

[@AndrewG1989]

Yp. Also there is Upper Basildon and Lower Basildon near Goring, Berkshire.