Bedfordshire has taken a hit, being labelled as the worst county in England following a new ranking of all the counties in the country. The Telegraph released a list ranking the country’s 48 counties, judging them in 41 areas, including the number of Michelin-star restaurants. Bedfordshire was at the bottom of the list.
While some may wonder whether categories such as the number of golf courses should really determine a county's quality, there are criteria that touch upon most interests. The ranking also measures a county against its number of National Parks and top-rate villages as well as its crime rate and, of course, how many Great British Pub Awards winners it has. In response to Bedfordshire’s poor ranking, the news outlet reported: “It has no World Heritage Sites, National Parks, coastline, Michelin-starred restaurants, first-rate hotels, world-class sport, RHS gardens, Dark Sky Reserves, National Trails or cathedrals.
” Bedfordshire gained 247 points because of one RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds) reserve, The Chiltern Hills, 24 museums and galleries, and several National Trust and English Heritage properties. Devon, also England’s best place to live, earned 981 points—nearly four times more than Bedfordshire. This isn’t the first time Bedfordshire’s reputation has suffered.
In 2023, the county’s commuter town, Luton, was also named the “worst place to live” in the UK by the satirical website iLiveHere. The website claimed that “.
