Recommendations for UK city break

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I want to go away for half term
Me
Two boys 11 and 13
And my mother (active pensioner)
Could you recommend a city to visit. We live in North Wales so anywhere in UK would work. Not London as went there last year or Chester as go there regularly.
Like to visit cathedrals / castles / museums / parks (but not sure on the weather)
Happy to do lots of walking
But open to most activities.

Belfast! It's an amazing place to visit.

York, Edinburgh, Liverpool (so underrated), Birmingham has lots for kids too.

York - not too far for you and ticks all the boxes.

I would have said York, but I’m not sure now. It’s gone very hen-doish if you’re going to be there over a weekend. Might be ok in the week though.

Bath? Bristol?

Bristol, Bath, Cardiff or Edinburgh.

Edinburgh! Has got the castle and a great free museum, plus brilliant under ground ghost/history walks and the Edinburgh dungeons. All very close together. Plus the royal mile, parliament, and Arthur's seat to climb if it's dry for amazing views. Beaches and the Pentlands nearby. And great restaurants.

Good suggestions!
I like Liverpool as it is easy by train and used to live in Cardiff. But shall google the others. Could easily be a midweek break rather than a weekend. Went to Edinburgh when boys were babies so they won't remember it and they would love the castle.

Belfast. Titanic museum, HMS Caroline and the Ulster Museum would probably all go down well with boys that age. Great restaurants, easy to get to, and a bit of a novelty because it is across the sea

Bath & Bristol

Glasgow :) Lots if free museums & great eating places (good shopping for you too!)

Another vote for York

we had good fun in Oxford over Oct half-term last year. DC particularly enjoyed the Pitt Rivers Museum and taking a punt out on the Cherwell.

Durham also v.good - Beamish is worth the trip by itself.

Edinburgh!!

Is half term at Halloween? Go to Derry - Halloween capital. derryhalloween.com/

Edinburgh or Glasgow

Newcastle is amazing, plenty to do!

Edinburgh. I love Glasgow and have a soft spot for it, but would recommend Edinburgh to visitors every time.

Bath?

Would you fly to Belfast or use the ferry?

Lincoln, it has a castle inc Victorian prison, cathedral, Roman collection and museums etc.

Bristol
Bath
Portsmouth
Brighton

Don’t go to York over a weekend with young children. The stag and hen dos might have quietened down by then, but the same people come down to York on the train for all day Saturday drinking.

The problem with York is, the city centre is so small that you can’t really escape the madness. In bigger towns it is confined to particular areas. You DO NOT want to see some of the displays in the main shopping streets. I don’t live in York, but friends do and they avoid the city centre on Saturdays.

Lincoln, Glasgow, Belfast and Newcastle are all excellent suggestions.

We just did Lincoln by train. It was lovely! It ticks your castle and cathedral boxes. Some lovely shops and plenty to see. We had some delicious food there too!!

Kent would tick a lot of boxes.

You’ve got the cathedral in Canterbury, nice castles in Bodiam, Dover, Leeds (just outside Maidstone), Walmer, Hever, and Rochester. You’ve got Port Lympne and Howletts, you’re only a short distance from Hastings and Brighton, Chatham Historical Dockyards, there are stately homes all over the place, Whitstable & Deal, you could nip over to France on the ferry for the day.

Manchester! Surprised no one’s mentioned it:

• Several museums, nearly all are free/donation based(Football one has recently introduced charges)
• great food scene
• John Ryland’s library, if the cathedral is a bit smaller than what you’re looking for
• shopping is decent