Swathes of tourists flock to the North Somerset coast every year for its endless attractions and seaside resorts. But while the county is loved by many holidaymakers for its classic seaside holidays and rolling fields, one YouTuber gave Weston-super-Mare a scathing yet "balanced" review of its various neighbourhoods and areas.
In a video titled, "Weston-super-Mare - GOOD, BAD, UGLY", YouTuber Turdtowns visited the popular holiday destination, which attracts around 750,000 tourists every year. But Turdtowns went beyond the strip of muddy beach and restored pier to explore areas usually undisturbed by tourists to give his thoughts on them, Somerset Live reports.
During his trip to the North Somerset town, Turdtowns ranked the four best and four worst places to live in Weston, in his opinion. Ahead of getting started on the list, the daytripper described Weston as "the worst place to live in Somerset" citing the "poverty, run down nature of the place, lack of shops and places to eat, the high crime and terrible stretch of M5" as his reasons for believing so.
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Whilst Turdtowns had a lot of negative things to say about Weston, he added that tourists still descend upon the town, and was hoping to give a "balanced look" at the town and its areas. Amongst these was a council estate he dubbed "the most polluted place in Weston", another that "reeked to highest heaven", and a "great place to live" that is "teeming with wildlife".
The worst places to live in Weston-super-Mare
4) Oldmixon
This council estate on the south side of Weston was first to get a mention, and not for the right reasons. Describing the local residents as "inmates" who walk around "in a haze trying to forget all their bleak realities", Turdtowns said Oldmixon was "extremely depressing and poor" despite the houses on the estate being newer than ones in other estates featured on the video, and suggested it "must be the most polluted place in Weston".
Trying to sympathise with Oldmixon residents, Turdtowns said: "It's a very industrial place too, so at least there's jobs. But it must be a nightmare living so close to all of this".
3) North Worle
Next up on the list of worst places to live in Weston was North Worle, which was a "real eyeopener" for Turdtowns, who said it was "much worse that I expected". "Worle's fine, it's basically where your dreams come to die," he said.
After making scathing remarks about the people of North Worle and claiming they "pretend to be better than the Oldmixon estate", Turdtowns alleged that there was an "unfriendly atmosphere" as he anticipated being pelted by rocks and bottles thrown by children skipping school at any moment. "So, for the fact the place is an ugly mess that brings down the rest of the area... the council have largely tried to sweep under the rug, North Worle finishes third, it's surprisingly bad here," Turdtowns concluded.
2) Weston town centre
An area familiar with the majority of people who have visited Weston, Weston town centre's shopping area was "loosely" called so by Turdtowns, who claimed "there isn't a single shop here which would ever encourage to visit from outside the town," aside from one shop. The YouTuber was a huge fan of video game shop MT Games in Meadow Street, which he said was "the best shop in Weston by a country mile".
Turdtowns also said that, although it felt like "Weston was finally becoming something to be proud of" when Nandos arrived at the redeveloped Dolphin Square, many of the units at the redevelopment are now empty. "They've knocked down one eyesore to create another," he said.
1) The Bournville
Bournville, unaffectionately known as "The Bournville", took the miserable crown for the worst place to live in Weston, with Turdtowns alleging that the shops in the centre of the estate are not shut, but put their shutters down "to avoid the windows from being smashed in". "Chances are, if you're from Somerset you're aware of this estate," he said. "It is, statistically, the worst place in the county across several metrics."
Turdtowns noted that the only thing separating Bournville from Oldmixon was the train tracks, and suggested that a "sensible investment in Weston could bring a train station". Claiming the council "should be paying people to move here", he also said that Bournville "reeked to the highest heaven" of "burning plastic mixed with sewage and a hint of wet dog in the morning."
The best places to live in Weston-super-Mare
4) Bleadon Hill/Bleadon
Noting that Bleadon Hill overlooks Oldmixon, Turdtowns claimed the village of Bleadon is "a perfect example of the wealth gap that exists in Weston". A big fan of the style of houses in Bleadon, he claimed that it was the "quietest place on the list" as he wondered whether the rest of the town even knew Bleadon existed.
Although, one thing that let Bleadon down in Turdtowns' view was the lack of amenities. "If you want to live in Weston without feeling like you actually live there, then this is the place for you," he said, as he claimed there were "nice houses, nice views" but that it was "lacking infrastructure".
3) Kewstoke
Suggesting that it was "possibly a controversial choice", Turdtowns said he wanted to include Kewstoke "as a place younger people could move to that they could actually afford". "I think it's a pretty good bet because it feels like country living but Weston is minutes away," he said, adding that the nearby Sand Bay is much quieter than the main beach at Weston.
With half-hourly buses, a couple of pubs and a shop, Turdtowns noted that Kewstone did have its disadvantages. "The reason for this place being labelled a controversial choice is that the flats here dont have the best reputation," he said, later adding: "One guy blocked my path in an alleyway but at least he didn’t talk to me."
2) Worlebury
Situated on a hill to the northside of Weston, Turdtowns sold Worlebury by saying it was "famous for dog fights on a Friday night", which the residents are not "particularly proud of". Whilst there are some negatives to Worlebury, it was still ranked the second best place in Weston, affording "nice views over the brown Bristol Channel and the Welsh Valleys".
Turdtowns also claimed that you know it's "posh" in Worlebury as the village has its own golf club, but "not a whole lot else". Although, the hilly nature of Worlebury is appealing as the rest of Weston is flat, "so you're lucky if you can even see over your neighbours' grey fence", he added.
1) Uphill
Described as where "the high society of Weston live", Uphill took the ultimate spot on the list as the best place in the town to live. "As you walk around here, you could perhaps be somewhere in the Devon countryside," Turdtowns said, as he encountered plenty of wildlife in the village to the south west of Weston's town centre, including a snake and ducklings.
The attractive houses, many of which were large, were a major pull point for Turdtowns, as he noted that the area's beach, a continuation of Weston's main seafront, was "much more quiet". However, there was a downside: "There is only one shop here, so it sort of ruins the residents' psychosis of not being in Weston because they have to leave Uphill everyday to get their shopping".
Turdtowns concluded: "But overall, we'd recommend joining the fantasy world of Uphill and pretending you're just better than everyone else around you. Don't worry, if reality ever starts to kick in, the white magic of Weston is only a short bus ride away."
