The unremarkable little UK town that's the 'most English' place in Britain

A little town in has been named as 'the most English place' in Britain by researchers. Ripley, a just northeast of Derby, has a larger number of residents with an English ethnic background than any other place in , a study has revealed. The analysis revealed that 88.6% of the small town's residents are of English origin, making it the most quintessentially English place.

Little is known about when the town was founded. However, it does appear in the 1086 Domesday Book. Today, Ripley is home to around 20,000 people and boasts many independently run stores, pretty walking paths, and a railway museum. Heanor and Sutton-in-Ashfield, two of Ripley's neighbouring towns, followed closely behind in the ranking.

On the other hand, the analysis found that in west London has 17.8% residents of English origin. The researchers looked at the surnames and first names of 42.2 million people registered to vote in the UK and then split them into 200 ethnic groups, reports .

The most diverse area, according to the analysis, is South Tottenham. The north London neighbourhood is home to a mix of 113 ethnic groups. The experts also ranked the groups by socio-economic success in relation to their jobs, with the use of a marketing database of professions.

Richard Webber, a professor of spatial analysis at University College, London and developer of the Origins Info report, said: "The patterns that this analysis have uncovered are striking. We are hoping it will prove a valuable tool for government and business."

When looking closely at different ethnic groups' financial and social success, the information highlighted that the English have quite low business knowledge compared to other groups.

Japanese and Russian people are the most entrepreneurial, boasting the most company directors per group. Armenian immigrants are noted as the most financially and socially prosperous.

It also interestingly revealed that congregating of ethnic groups in specific areas had come about decades after immigrants first arrived in the country. Some examples include a predominant community of Greek Cypriots in Broxbourne, Hertfordshire and Margate, Kent. As well as a large Dutch population in Plockton, the Scottish Highlands and Llanwrtyd Wells, north Wales.