One part of Wales has been named the best place in the UK to enjoy a bit of peace and quiet, although that might be the last thing you need right now!
An English holiday let company has spent some time during lockdown looking at the best locations in England, Wales and Scotland which will provide the perfect escape from the hustle and bustle of daily life once travel restrictions are lifted.
They did this by breaking down every county, council district and region and gathering data on population count per square kilometre.
They also looked at the number of natural sanctuaries such as national parks and Dark Sky sites in each area, before coming up with a list ranking the most peaceful and quiet parts of the UK, although everywhere is pretty peaceful at the moment, with pubs and restaurants still closed due to the coronavirus lockdown and people told to largely stay at home,
Two parts of Wales made the top 10 list, with Powys coming in at the number one spot.
According to Cottages in Northumberland, which collated the data and compiled the list, Powys has just 26 people per square kilometre.
It is Wales’ largest county by area size and is home to parts of the Brecon Beacons, including Pen y Fan, the highest peak in south Wales.
It is also the only area in the list to boast two internationally recognised Dark Sky Reserves - Elan Valley and Brecon Beacons Dark Sky Park.
The other Welsh location in the list is Pembrokeshire, which comes in at number seven in the Top 10 ‘peace and quiet list’. The county boasts a low population of 77 people per square kilometre - the 18th lowest count in the UK overall.
It is home to the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park and seven Dark Sky Discovery sites, including Garn Fawr National Trust car park and Newgale Beach.
As well as the two Welsh locations, the list is made up of four places in England and four in Scotland.
The full top 10 list of the best places for peace and quiet can be seen below:
- 1st - Powys, Wales
- 2nd - Northumberland, England
- 3rd - Highlands, Scotland
- 4th - Argyll and Bute, Scotland
- 5th - Moray, Scotland
- 6th - North Yorkshire, England
- 7th - Pembrokeshire, Wales
- 8th - Cumbria, England
- 9th - Aberdeenshire, Scotland
- 10th - Devon, England
Data was also collated looking at the best locations for peace and quiet in each country.
In Wales, behind Powys and Pembrokeshire, the third ranked place is Carmarthenshire, which is home to parts of the Brecon Beacons National Park and two Dark Sky Discovery sites at Llyn Brianne car park in Rhandirmwyn and Llanllwni Mountain.
Gwynedd came in fourth in the Welsh list thanks to Snowdonia National Park and the Snowdonia Dark Sky Reserve, and Ceredigion took the fifth spot with a population of just 41 people per square kilometre.
