Much depends on how busy the place is.
I think most people would prefer a quiet field without any "controllers" for both learning and normal operations.
In reality there are few always-quiet fields (in the UK) where ab initio training can be done legally.
Flight training (circuit banging specifically) is a core money making activity for any GA field and this is why they tend to go overboard. The eight (yes 8) fixed wing schools that once existed at Shoreham is a great example. Of course they went bust regularly, often amid rather amusing (not amusing for the students who lost money) circumstances.
I still dread having to fly into say Stapleford on a nice Sunday, because it is such a total free for all, with a lot of crazy flying done by planes with instructors in them. At such times, ATC would be IMHO great. The rest of the time, you probably don't want ATC. OTOH if the field has gone overboard with flying schools then it will be hellishly busy the whole time.
However, if you learn at a quiet field without ATC (say, by having lessons only on weekdays) then you are likely to dread going to fields that have ATC. I see this in so many pilots. In turn, this wipes out a huge chunk of your mission capability because just about any flight abroad will involve going to a field with ATC, and quite often a big one.