Top 9 Driest Places in the UK

Are you considering moving house and searching for some of the driest places in the UK?

There are several different factors that will determine where you may wish to relocate.

If the weather is your top consideration this is the article for you!

We have compiled a list of the 9 driest places in the UK.

With a choice of different counties, cities and towns one of these driest places in the UK is sure to appeal.

Here are the 9 driest places in the UK!

Cornwall

What makes the county of Cornwall such a draw for holidaymakers is its mild weather conditions.

The county sits along the Gulf Stream bringing with it warm and humid weather.

Sea breezes from the ocean in Cornwall and Scilly are responsible for the UK’s highest temperature on the coast.

In fact, Falmouth is the sunniest spot in the county, where sunshine is almost guaranteed for much of the year.

Winter temperatures in Cornwall are comparable to Mediterranean resorts such as Benidorm, Nice, and Naples.

An all-year rounder, Cornwall makes a great place to enjoy a high standard of living with an emphasis on the outdoors.

Exeter

Exeter is renowned for its pleasingly picturesque surroundings and its ideal balance of city and rural life.

The town has some marvellous local attractions, irresistible shopping, dramatic countryside, charming Devon villages, Dartmoor National Park, and glorious nearby beaches.

If Exeter appeals to you, you are in luck. The town is also one of the driest in England.

Having a recorded 1747 hours of sunshine on average per year means that Exeter is among one of the warmest places in the UK.

Devon

Devon has 120 beaches, set along the stunning Jurassic Coast.

It is the whole package.

As well as the seaside, you have access to the countryside, ancient ruins, modern shopping centres, festivals and just about everything else you can think of.

With a mild climate to boot, you have enough time in the year to make sure you optimise the warm weather to the fullest.

In winter, snow is relatively uncommon away from high land, although there are few exceptions.

The county has mild summers with occasional warm spells and some cool rainy periods.

The average annual amount of sun hours here reaches an average of 1515 hours.

It is easy to see why Devon is everyone’s favourite UK holiday destination.

Bognor Regis

This south coast town is very popular with visitors to the UK.

The area has access to fantastic views of the Sussex coastline and a plentiful supply of attractions.

It is not surprising then that it has been a place for people to come and enjoy time by the sea since the early 18^th Century.

Bognor Regis is well known for its warm and sunny climate and record-breaking sunshine hours, hence it is also one of the driest towns in the region.

Perhaps the Anglo-Saxons, the earliest inhabitants in the town, chose Bognor for this very reason.

Eastbourne

Like its neighbour Bognor Regis, Eastbourne is also often bathed in lovely sunshine.

Eastbourne enjoys a mild and sunny microclimate.

Compared to the rest of Great Britain, it has on average, around 1895 sunshine hours per year.

Although it does have more than its fair share of sun, it is a little more sheltered from the heat waves that have, in recent years affected the southeast of England.

Tourist flock here to the tune of almost 5 million each year.

Not only is this lovely town dry, but it has also been nominated as one of the UK’s happiest.

Hastings

Once a haven for local smugglers, the large seaside town of Hastings makes the most of its reputation as one of the UK’s driest locations.

Similar to other south coast locations, the average number of sunlight hours is around 8.

The weather here is one of the major reasons Eastbourne has been attracting retirees for decades and continues to do so.

For five months of the year, you can be sure of fine weather. Not always hot but dry.

Hastings’s dry weather means that local residents can really take time to enjoy a long slow walk along the town’s attractive promenade.

Bristol

Bristol is a city absolutely packed to the rafters with character.

It is also a diverse multicultural melting pot.

Bristol boasts at least 45 religions, at least 187 countries of birth and at least 91 main languages!

It can also claim to be another of the UK’s driest places to live!

With an estimated 1631 hours of sunlight on average per year.

It is just as well the weather is pretty good because Bristol has so many attractions to cover. From festivals to markets, and from street art to green space.

If you love both the city and the countryside, living in Bristol with its temperate weather means you don’t have to miss out on either for a good part of the year.

Tenby

The walled seaside town of Tenby is not situated along the south coast, but on the west coast in Pembrokeshire, Wales.

A surprising contender on our list!

Wales is generally associated with having more than its fair share of wet weather.

It does, however, beat Bristol and Hastings and enjoys a huge 1667 hours of sun each year.

Tenby experiences a maritime climate with cool summers, mild winters and often high winds.

Due to its coastal southwest position, it is one of the sunnier locations in England and Wales.

At around a mile and a half long and boasting a huge stretch of golden sands, Tenby’s South Beach is a great place to chill out and relax no matter what the weather.

The Isles of Scilly

Although this unique location is not physically attached to the county of Cornwall, it is part of it.

The Scilly Isles, or sunshine isles, may not actually be the driest place in the UK.

However, they are worth a mention because of their incredibly unusual weather conditions, bordering on subtropical.

There are in fact five inhabited islands of the Isles of Scilly, (six if you count the tidal island of Gugh which is separated from St. Agnes at high tide).

With an average annual temperature of 12.0 °C (53.6 °F).

This area is said to be the warmest region in the British Isles.

Snow has not been seen on the island for 25 years, and the local flora and fauna thrive in these pleasant conditions.

Ready to Start Your Move?

Hopefully, you have found our guide helpful and will soon be moving to one of the driest places in the UK.

You can start preparing for your dream move with the help of our house removals service from White & Company today!

Regardless of which location you choose to move to, we will ensure your belongings arrive safely without disruption.

White & Company are also pleased to announce our new video survey service.

During these unprecedented times, we can safely conduct remote removals surveys, ascertaining all the relevant information for your move, all from the comfort of your own home.

So, give us a call today or fill out a quick quote form to see how we can get your dream move in the works.

Max Peterson

Max is a seasoned writer and blogger in the real estate and home moving sectors, as well as a knowledgeable source of information for expatriates living and working abroad. His detailed insights have helped thousands of people move and live abroad with greater simplicity and ease.