What are your favourite UK towns and cities to visit?(Besides London)

[ATaleofTwentyCities]

I'm always looking for somewhere new to visit and I wondered what other Mumsnetter's favourite places to visit are?

TIA

I'm not sure York can be beaten. Beautiful, historic, small enough to easily get around, independent shops, lovely places to eat and drink.

Edinburgh is also wonderful.

Liverpool
Cheltenham
Manchester
Bath

This post has come at a good time for me as research for a role I've applied for.
Interesting to see what draws people to a city centre and what you like to see re history, museums, arts, shopping in indies etc. will follow with interest but your ideas are helping me. Sorry for hijacking your thread OP!

We've been to both Oxford and Shrewsbury in the past few weeks and both were great family days out.
Bristol and Cardiff fab too with lots going on.

I'm a Bristolian! You're right about the centre around Broadmead, it is a dump but the harbourside is fantastic- go on a sunny day, full of people enjoying life. Clifton is beautiful as well, and some of the views from the south (where I am) along the gorge to the suspension bridge make me very happy to live here.

Then there's the variety shops and restaurants on the Gloucester Road. Plus a special mention to my all time favourite shop, the Bristol sweet mart in Easton.

@Blossomgate22 so glad you mentioned Ripon, was just coming on to sing its praises, the surrounding area is gorgeous too , Fountains Abbey on the doorstep, Brimham rocks , a quick drive over the tops to Pateley bridge and not much further on to Grassington. Plus it has a Booth's and poor Harrogate only has Waitrose

I really liked Lincoln when I stayed there, I would definitely go back.

Lewes is lovely and very close to some gorgeous villages with idyllic pubs and not far from the coast.

I really like Penzance, it might not be as obviously chic as some of its neighbours, but you can walk to Newlyn and Mousehole and Marazion along the coast without much difficulty and it is that rare beast in Cornwall in that it is a town with 4 supermarkets. Plus lots of other lovely stuff too. A great base for exploring that end of the county.

I live in Bath so can't say that

Mine are

York
Winchester
Northumberland coast
Oxford
Chester
Edinburgh
Liverpool/Wirral
Cardiff
Brighton
St ives (but it's right fag)

Colchester has interesting Roman remains/trail, a great museum in the castle, and the zoo. On the edge of Constable country and easy access to the coast too - Mersea, and then Brightlingsea and north to Walton. And a new city (although actually the oldest recorded town).

We went to Liverpool last summer and really enjoyed it, loads to do

Oxford is ridiculously pretty.

Belfast is lovely and there are so many fantastic places for food.

Brighton
Bristol

Liverpool
Manchester
Glasgow
Edinburgh
Lancaster
York
Clitheroe
A pp mentioned Penzance - I really enjoyed it there too, it had a different vibe to other places we’d been in Cornwall. It was lovely. We visited some great pubs for food and the walk along the prom was very pretty in the evening.

Genuinely confused at the Coventry comments. I like Shrewsbury, Lichfield and Leamington Spa

Ooo tell me more about Shrewsbury, I haven't been for years. What did you like about it

York is my absolute favourite city, small enough to get round and so much to do.

Birmingham
Glasgow
Belfast
Derry
Liverpool
Manchester
Cardiff
Bath
Margate
Folkestone
Tunbridge Wells
Rye
Newcastle
Durham
St Andrews
Largs
Canterbury
Chichester
Lewes
Dorchester
Lyme Regis

Reading
Aldershot
Bracknell
Didcot
Yateley
.
.
Winnersh
.
.
Taplow
.
Burghfield.

😉

Hull! One of my favourites, lots of people are very rude about it but I love it.
Romford
Southend
Clacton
Sevenoaks

Oh and Winchester

York
Chester
Leeds
Lincoln
Edinburgh

York
Whitby
Clitheroe
Howarth for the late night christmas shopping was super cute and it is fab on a 1940’s weekend.
Oxford
Malham - take sturdy walking shoes
Liverpool
Stratford-upon-avon.
Cheltenham
Llandudno
Dublin
Isle of Whithorn and travel around the area.

Perth is next on my list.

Reading????? Assume you're joking!

Agree with lots mentioned, and would also add...

Not really a town, but Avebury is lovely and I'm fond of Malborough
Love Falmouth
Love whitby
Love Huddersfield

York
Faversham
Berwick on Tweed
Pangbourne
Glasgow
Kirkwall

Inverness
Dundee
Edinburgh
St Andrews
Bristol
Bath

Has anyone mentioned Lincoln yet? We had a weekend away there last year and absolutely fell in love with it! Such a beautiful city with lots of interesting things to do.

Other than that I love the usuals- Edinburgh, York- haven’t been for a while but I used to enjoy Windsor. Also agree that Hull’s old town is refreshingly quirky and interesting. Walking the Humber bridge is fantastic. It’s a much underrated city.

We love a U.K. city break. Next on our target lists are Bath and Liverpool. DH’s work is based in Bristol (but we don’t live there) We’ve driven through it a few times and it seems like an interesting place to visit so might put that on my list too.

I quite like Lincoln. It's like a mini York, without all the hordes of tourists and stag/hen parties.