Searching for some peace and quiet — somewhere tranquil to enjoy a stress-free pace of life? The London borough of Bromley might be calling your name.
The large market town has just been crowned the most peaceful place to live in the capital, and the only London location to make it into the top five for all of England.
It came in fifth overall, pipped to the top four positions by Solihull,Wiltshire, Peterborough and South Gloucestershire.
Known for the iconic Glades shopping centre and the never-ending debate of whether its actually in Kent or London, some people might be surprised to see Bromley so high up on this list. But the data doesn’t lie.
To come up with its results, the property company Sell House Fast created a sensory disturbance index which considered factors such as noise levels, light pollution and environmental disruption.
Using a combination of government data and local authority insight, the company was able to tap into a relatively un-explored aspect when it comes to quality of life.
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Noise pollution is an ‘invisible killer’
Bromley is apparently rather quiet. Either that, or its residents can’t be bothered to complain. There were only four noise complaints per 1,000 people recorded in the area.
It might sound like an exaggeration, but recent studies have shown how noise can have a seriously detrimental impact on both our mental and physical wellbeing.
During a recent BBC investigation into how noise pollution is a ‘public health crisis’, Professor Charlotte Clark, from St George’s, University of London, shared that our bodies have an ’emotional response to sound,’ adding ‘there’s really good evidence that traffic noise affects your heart health.’
The expert went on to note how prolonged exposure to noise pollution can increase a person’s risk of developing things like heart attacks, high blood pressure, stroke and type 2 diabetes.
Could moving to a more peaceful location be the answer to living a longer healthier life? If so, Bromley could be up for consideration.
The borough also had minimal levels of light pollution, no sewage works, and, given its location in the big smoke, relatively low levels of greenhouse gas emissions.
It was this combination that awarded Bromley a sensory disturbance score of 2.72 out of 10, pushing the borough into the top five most peaceful spots.
But do Bromley residents agree with the findings?
I appreciate the peace a lot more now I’m older
Video editor Jonathan D’Arcy-Smith, 26, has lived in Bromley since 2012 and wasn’t surprised one bit to hear that the borough had knabbed a top spot on this list.
Describing the area as ‘lush, residential, and calm,’ Jon noted how despite not being a big fan of Bromley in his youth due to there ‘not being much to do in terms of ‘going out’ with friends,’ now that he’s in his mid-20s he appreciates the peace and laid-back vibe of the borough a lot more.
For writer Amy May Ellis, 25, who grew up in Bromley and lived there till she was 22, the findings were ‘half-surprising.’
She told Metro: ‘In one way it is quite peaceful because it’s just loads of suburbs so it’s great for families, schools, etc. But at the same time, because of that there’s lots of young people, particularly in the centre of Bromley and it can get quite intense. Sometimes it feels overrun with schoolkids and they’re actually so intimidating!’
She added: ‘Generally, in the smaller towns in the borough it is very peaceful, with lots of green spaces and nice pubs.’
Metro‘s very own Sophie Laughton, who also grew up in Bromley and recently purchased a home in Penge on the border of the borough, joked that her initial reaction was to laugh — ‘I assume they’re talking about one of the lovely villages on the outskirts which are basically countryside.’
She went on to note: ‘On balance I totally agree it’s one of the most peaceful places in London — it’s very leafy. But in the whole of England?’
Doesn’t sound like she’s too convinced…
It definitely feels peculiar to see any London borough in the most peaceful list, especially considering it was only recently that Barking and Dagenham was ranked the least happy place to live in the city and one of the worst in the UK.
But, from taking a look online, it seems that the reason Bromley made it into the top five is because, as Jon shared, not a whole lot goes on there…
One TikTok creator @im_just_jm recently spoke about just how little there is to do in the borough in a video that’s been watched by almost 20,000 people.
‘It looks nice, don’t get me wrong. If you’re trying to raise your family there, I’d do the same exact thing. But in terms of things to actually do, that place is totally dead.’
He added ‘If I was from Bromley, my favourite activity would be going to the train station — so I could get out of that place.’
So, maybe that’s the price you pay for a peaceful existence?
Housing in Bromley
Tempted to move for a sense of calm? House prices in Bromley had anaverage listing price of £559,534 over the last year, according to Rightmove’s index.
The majority of properties sold in Bromley during the last year were flats, selling for an average price of £339,018. Terraced properties sold for an average of £498,034, with semi-detached properties fetching £667,945.
Those figures make it (marginally) more affordable than the majority of London, with the average house price across the capital coming in at £665,201.
Unsurprisingly, Bromley was the only London borough to make it onto the list of peaceful places, with a number of the top spaces going to rural areas ‘where space, greenery, and low population density help minimise sensory pollution.’
But where clinched ultimate victory?
Solihull is the most peaceful place to live
Another market town for the win — Solihull in Birmingham was the highest overall scorer in the ‘most peaceful place’ competition, beating out the woodlands in Wiltshire and rural tranquility of Peterborough.
Home to approximately 221,242 residents, according to a mid-2024 census, Solihull has become a hub for commuters in the West Midlands.
A report by Compare My Move found that around 14% of people moving from Birmingham set up home in Solihull last year. And with the recent sensory disturbance results, it’s not hard to see why.
Solihull was rewarded a score of just 2.28 out of 10. Compared with major cities, residents here experience very little environmental disruption.
With noise complaints at just 2.7 per 1,000 people and greenhouse gas emissions well below the national average, life in Solihull sounds very calm.
Plus, only 9.3% of the land in this area is affected by artificial light at night, meaning residents enjoy far darker skies than in most parts of England.
You know a place is worth visiting when travel guides began describing it as a ‘leafy town’ — a phrase that’s become so popular it deserves it’s own awards ceremony.
With both Solihull and Bromley as good examples, it turns out you don’t have to stray too far away from the city to find peace.
The 10 areas with the most sensory disturbance
These results are based off of the sensory disturbance index which gives each location a score out of 10, combining factors such as noise complaints, light pollution, vacant or derelict buildings, sewage works, and greenhouse gas emissions.
- Newham – 8.16
- Kensington and Chelsea – 7.95
- Hackney – 7.91
- Kingston upon Thames – 7.81
- Portsmouth – 7.72
- Camden – 7.57
- Hounslow – 7.48
- Southampton – 7.44
- Southwark – 7.43
- Liverpool – 7.32
