I read a book as a kid in the 70s. I think the book was written then, but could have been late sixties.
It is about a colony on a distant planet that for some reason need to go back to earth. Due to time dilation they end up arriving to a deserted earth tho they don't realize this has occurred. There is a sequence where they are flying over what should be Sheffield and just finding fields.
That is all I remember other than it having a profound effect on me even though I can't remember anything else about it. I would love to get hold of this book and read it again. I'm sure that despite moving on to Robert A. Heinlein and Philip K. Dick the effect it had will still happen; I hope!