Stress-free Staycation: the UK regions that are the most peaceful

ICE Headshop then combined their findings to establish an overall peace score out of 100 for each of the 53 analysed locations in order to reveal the top 10 most peaceful UK destinations.

The UK’s most peaceful destinations:

To view the full dataset, please click here.

ICE HeadShop’s findings revealed that Over Haddon, a village in the Peak District, is the most peaceful UK destination, with a peace score of 85.92 out of 100.  

The area is home to 12 hiking trails and 6 bird watching trails. Set peacefully among the rolling fields of the White Peak, the main attraction is by far the beautiful views which stretch for miles making it great for walking. 

Of all the areas in the research, it has the fewest number of Instagram hashtags (100), giving it the ‘hidden gem’ status! With just 12 crimes per 1,000 inhabitants, it has the lowest crime rate of all destinations.

Bassenthwaite, Cumbria ranks as the second most peaceful destination for a staycation, with an impressive peace score of 82.66 out of 100. 

Filled with wildlife and water, the village sits quietly in a valley at the north end of the Lake District and has plenty of exercise options holding the highest number of hiking trails at 39. 

Next on the list is another Peak District gem. Located in Derbyshire, Bakewell stands as the third most peaceful location to visit. 

With a population of just 4,258 inhabitants, this picturesque town has a peace score of 79.29 out of 100, and whilst it lacks fishing trails, it does boast 13 hiking trails and a town filled with treasures.

In fourth place is the rustically charming village of Reeth, North Yorkshire, with a peaceful score of 78.64 and rather fittingly the smallest population size of 658 inhabitants. 

Not only does this affirm it as a natural environment perfect for spotting wildlife, it is also ideal for a break away from the hustle and bustle of city life. With 11 hiking trails you won’t be short of exploration options to fill your time. 

Broadway, Worcestershire ranks as the fifth most peaceful destination to visit, according to the rankings. 

Often referred to as the ‘jewel of the Cotswolds’, and despite being one of the most popular villages in the Cotswolds, it has an overall peace rating of 77.21 out of 100. 

The village is home to a total of 2,716 inhabitants and whilst it is one of the most beautiful, it hosts only 3,924 Instagram hashtags.

Despite ranking in tenth place, Mullion, Cornwall still gains a respectable peace score of 72.66 out of 100. 

An area of natural beauty, the seaside village is the largest on the Lizard and hosts some of the most impressive landscapes. This is especially beautiful taken using a chaffeur service.

With 2,300 inhabitants living here, it is home to popular beaches and hidden coves and is the fourth safest with a rate of 24 crimes per 1,000 inhabitants.

Dr Gurpreet Kaur, chartered clinical psychologist & EMDR practitioner commented on the importance of breaks to reduce burnout:

“Having awareness of what a healthy baseline looks like is key to recognising signs of burnout. A common factor is feeling as though you can never stop and take time off, or if they do physically, they may find that emotionally or mentally they are still preoccupied with the stress. High standards can amplify this and lead to an imbalance in home and work life due to the level of heightened responsibility, which in turn, reduces room for error. 

“Physical exhaustion, disruption in sleep, unease or a tiresome feeling are all signs that a rest is needed. Likewise, feeling irritable or emotionally overwhelmed can indicate that you are depleted. 

“To reduce burnout, there needs to be some level of acceptance that life is hard and looking after your emotions, mental and physical wellbeing is key. Taking a break teaches the mind and body that it is safe, and that relaxing is an important skill. Taking a break more regularly teaches the mind not only that it is important to switch off from stress but also how to switch off from stress. The common mistake people make is only switching off when they absolutely need to, this is not resting this is simply recovering in order to go and get back into fight mode. ”

Methodology

1. ICE HeadShop sought to determine the UK’s most peaceful staycations.
2. A seed list of over 50 popular locations was collated via reputable travel and lifestyle pages including: Coast magazine, Secret London, House Beautiful and Cosmopolitan.
3. Proceeding the collection our seed list, population estimates, crime rates and nature trail counts for each destination were analysed.
4. Each location’s crime rates for 2022 were sourced through crime rate, gov.scot and streetcheck data. Crime rates of representative nearby towns were used where rates for the town in question were unavailable.
5. Population estimates were collected through Wikipedia and all nature trail data was collected via Alltrails.
6. The number of Instagram hashtags for each destination was collected. A low number equals a more peaceful destination (‘hidden gem’)
7. A weighted and normalised score using the aforementioned variables was then calculated to provide a staycation peacefulness score for each location analysed. Crime rates took precedence over the other factors favouring locations with lower crime rates more favourably.
8. The scores were ultimately ranked in descending order, thus uncovering the most peaceful UK destinations for a staycation.

All data was collected August 2023 and is accurate as of then.