Telegraph Travel recently carried out a comprehensive analysis of London’s 32 boroughs, to see which offers the best overall visitor experience.
We considered just about everything you could imagine, from Michelin-starred restaurants to green space, cinemas to National Trust properties, professional football teams to population density. And after crunching the numbers, the London Borough of Richmond-upon-Thames took the top spot ahead of Westminster and Camden.
But what about the boroughs that finished at the bottom of the list? Below we take a closer look at the 10 “worst” London boroughs, according to our study, explaining why they ranked so low, and what (if any) redeeming features they possess that may entertain a discerning visitor.
23. Sutton
The bad
Understandably, given its location on the outer edge of Greater London, the London Borough of Sutton suffered in our study for its shortage of big-hitting tourist attractions. There is only one Grade I-listed building (Beddington Place), and the borough has no English Heritage properties or National Trust listings. The high street in Sutton Town, with its vape outlets and pound shops, could certainly do with a bit of a spruce-up, too.
The good
Enough of the negatives. Sutton scored points in our study for having a National League (or above) football team (Sutton United FC), for being the home to three of London’s “Great Trees” (including the girthy Ashcombe Sweet Chestnut), for having London’s fourth highest point (Big Wood Peak, at 492ft), as well as two London Wildlife Trust nature reserves, including Wilderness Island, where two wings of the River Wandle converge. Sutton also has London’s lowest crime rate, receiving 60 points for that accolade.
24. Hillingdon
The bad
At first glance, things don’t look too great for the London Borough of Hillingdon. Not a single venue in the borough features in our guide to England’s 500 Best Pubs. It has the seventh most unhappy residents in London, according to Rightmove. A motorway runs through it (costing it 25 points). And, of course, it is home to Europe’s busiest airport: Heathrow (costing it another 25).
The good
Despite the aforementioned motorway and airport, Hillingdon scored well for its nature credentials. The borough has 11 London Wildlife Trust reserves, more than any other. It also has six Sites of Special Scientific Interest, equal with Bromley, and boasts London’s second lowest population density. History enthusiasts will find distraction at the English Heritage property of Harmondsworth Barn (nicknamed the “Cathedral of Middlesex” by Sir John Betjeman), and the borough also has a top-rated golf course, a football team (Wealdstone FC), nine Grade I-listed buildings and two of London’s 21 highest points. The clue’s in the name.
25. Ealing
The bad
Ealing failed to reach the upper ranks of our study thanks to its absence of “great shops” (none of Timeout’s top 100 London shops are in the borough), among other factors. There are no decent football teams, none of London’s highest points, no “Great Trees”, no Test cricket ground. What, you ask, does Ealing have going for it, beyond the film studios?
The good
Ealing has plenty of breathing space – almost a fifth of the borough is a Site of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC). With a strong Japanese community, the borough has some of London’s best Japanese restaurants, along with a rugby team (Ealing Trailfinders), a top-rated golf course and an RHS Partner Garden. The borough is also home to the delightful Osterley Park country estate, which is managed by the National Trust.
26. Hammersmith and Fulham
The bad
Being the only Inner London borough to rank in the bottom ten of our study isn’t a great look. Hammersmith does not host a single one of our 500 Best Pubs in England, has a high crime rate (116.7 per 1,000), a high population density, and only one Grade I-listed building. Croydon, for comparison, has six, and ended up in 19th place in our study.
The good
But there’s plenty to sing about, too. Literally, in the case of the O2 Eventim Apollo. Hammersmith and Fulham has a lovely stretch of the Thames Path, which passes Fulham’s stadium, Craven Cottage – one of three (yes, three) professional football teams in the borough alongside Chelsea (Stamford Bridge falls within the borough) and Queens Park Rangers. With three Michelin-starred restaurants, nine cinemas and the eighth highest happiness rating in London, Hammersmith is more than somewhere to simply fly over.
27. Harrow
The bad
Wedged up in the north-west corner of London, Harrow has the smallest percentage of open public space of any of London’s 32 boroughs: just 3.9 per cent. Like many of London’s outer boroughs, Harrow suffers from high traffic congestion and was voted as the capital’s least welcoming quarter in a 2019 study by Life Residential (only 52 per cent of residents described the borough as “friendly”).
The good
The borough does, however, boast a low population density and has the second lowest crime rate in London, scoring it a combined 100 points. It also picked up points for being home to The Hive, the stadium of Barnet FC (aka the Bees). From the London Borough of Harrow, you can enjoy some of the capital’s loftiest views (four of the city’s highest points are in the area). And amongst the borough’s most popular attractions are Headstone Manor and Museum and Sri Ayyappan Temple, the first Sri Lankan Hindu temple in the UK.
28. Kingston upon Thames
The bad
Despite sitting next door to London’s greenest borough (Richmond upon Thames), Kingston upon Thames ranks as London’s worst borough for wildlife, nature and outdoor space. The area is also one of the few that doesn’t have a professional football club, nor a top-tier rugby side or a Test cricket ground.
The good
On the plus side, within the borough you have the Coombe Conduit (an English Heritage Site, worth 20 points), part of a curious network of Tudor waterworks. There are two fine independent breweries (The Park and 7000 Jars of Beer). And the borough is home to (the ride formerly known as) Professor Burp’s Bubble Works. If that means nothing to you, you have never been to Chessington World of Adventures, and that is a great shame.
29. Redbridge
The bad
Flicking up like a pig’s ear in the wilds of north-east London, right on the border with Essex, Redbridge doesn’t have any of England’s 500 Best Pubs, there’s only one Grade I-listed building (St Mary’s Church, Wanstead), and it ranked bottom of both the “Hospitality” and “Culture and Activities” categories. It also lost 25 points thanks to the M11, which cuts an unsightly line through the borough.
The good
There is an abundance of greenery in Redbridge. Some 22.9 per cent of the borough is public open space, and 28.2 per cent is a Site of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC), behind only Richmond upon Thames. The borough features the delightful Wanstead Park, covering 140 acres, plus sprawling Hainault Forest, and within it you will find four (yes, four) of London’s “Great Trees”. If not for cultural enlightenment, you are coming here for a slice of countryside within the perimeters of the M25.
30. Barking and Dagenham
The bad
Perhaps it’s a coincidence, or perhaps there is some correlation that Barking and Dagenham, third from bottom in our study, is home to London’s least happy residents (according to Rightmove). The area is perhaps best known as the home of Ford Dagenham, which at its peak employed 40,000 workers and has produced more than 10 million cars through its history. Now it only makes engines.
The good
The borough received points for its 84-hectare local nature reserve, Eastbrookend Country Park, which is home to more than 200 bird species. Barking and Dagenham is also home to Eastbury Manor House, a Grade I-listed Elizabethan mansion. Things could be changing for the better, in the borough: Barking and Dagenham is set to receive £200m from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, which will hopefully breathe some fresh life into this historic, industrial corner of the capital.
31. Newham
The bad
The top line statistics for Newham don’t look great. It has a high crime rate (116 per 1,000 residents) and high population density, being home to more than 350,000 people. With few museums or galleries, no top pubs and London’s fourth most unhappy residents (according to Rightmove), there is little to pull in the hordes of tourists.
The good
However. It isn’t all bad. Newham has easy access, via two tunnels, to one of London’s greatest boroughs, Greenwich. It is home to a Premier League football team (although, unfortunately, that team is struggling West Ham). And of course their home, the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, offers year-round cultural events and has revitalised the area in recent years, particularly along the canal. Newham also boasts what is, undoubtedly, the capital’s slickest airport in London City.
32. Brent
The bad
And then there was Brent. The borough came bottom of our study with just 148 points. Richmond, the champion, scored 791 points. Only 10.8 per cent of the London Borough of Brent is a Site of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC), the lowest in London after Islington. With little in the way of hospitality or cultural experiences, few visitors will find themselves in the borough, unless…
The good
...they have tickets to Wembley, of course. The borough is home to Britain’s most famous football stadium and the big-ticket events space of Wembley Arena. The area has a vibrant multicultural community, and is home to the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir (Neasden Temple) as well as lots of excellent local food markets. And, indeed, one of London’s “best shops” according to Timeout, in the form of Retrouvius Architectural Reclamation & Design in Kensal Green. What more could you want?