Bedfordshire's the top spot in England for a place in the sun

People in Bedfordshire have always known it, but it turns out the county has the sunniest disposition in England.

A holiday rental company has found Bedfordshire has more sun per day than anywhere else in the country.

The county beat its neighbours Northamptonshire, Hertfordshire and Essex, for the top spot with a score of 66 out of 70 with a sun-for-your-money score.

HomeToGo.co.uk took a deep dive into the data to uncover the areas in which staycationers can find the best weather and lower accommodation prices this autumn. Scored according to four factors (average maximum temperatures, hours of sunlight, rainfall and the median nightly price for accommodation in autumn), the results put Bedfordshire in the top spot.

The company found the median price per night for a holiday rental in the county was £94.59, beating Norfolk, who came second with an average £107.49 rental per night, but less sunshine, at 65 out of 70.

Northamptonshire, Hertfordshire and Essex were also in the top five.

The figures here were arrived at by collating the average autumn temperatures during September and October, average hours of sunlight during September and October, the average amount of rainfall during September and October, and the median nightly price for accommodation.

And it seems many of us are looking for an autumn getaway this year. HomeToGo has registered a search increase of 376% for holidays in England during September and October this year.

The study said: "When the sun shines... visit the tranquil Dunstable Downs, part of the Chiltern Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, for countryside walks, cycling, kite-flying and bird-watching - or find more exotic animals such as elephants and tigers at the Woburn Safari Park."

Eleanor Moody, UK Travel Expert at HomeToGo, added: “While Cornwall remains the most-searched staycation destination for autumn, closely followed by Devon, we are seeing an increase in interest for alternative coastal spots and more inland locations this season.

"In comparison to 2020, searches for autumn holiday accommodation in Sussex, Essex and Hampshire via HomeToGo.co.uk have seen increases of 40%, 87% and 242% respectively, while searches for the landlocked counties of Surrey, Rutland and Cambridgeshire are up by 84%, 121% and 196%.

"As this ‘More Sun for Your Money’ ranking suggests, venturing outside of England's most popular staycation spots can be a great way to find some top bargains - and there are plenty of great holiday attractions to be found in these areas too.”