A town like York

[Shettani]

I struggle with anxiety and am making some progress pushing myself to do stuff which I have been avoiding. We went to York for a week last year and I absolutely loved the place- are there other towns out there which are very similar to York?

Buxton
Bath
Ripon
Chester
Canterbury definitely
Chichester

Bath

Durham (much smaller, but you can also travel out to Beamish museum which is amazing)
Oxford

Chester. And it's nowhere near as busy.

Rye (much smaller and coastal)

I love York, but it is very busy. I suppose all the best places are! Another favourite city is Oxford, if you like historic architecture, the old cathedral area and museums. Some of the Derbyshire towns are lovely to visit - Buxton had already been mentioned, but Bakewell is one of my favourite towns, as is Ashbourne. You could try St David's in Wales. I think be adventurous, every city has good and bad - I like Newcastle on the estuary, I like Birmingham's canal side. Even London is great fun, it's easy to get around, feels safe in the main tourist areas and has some of the most beautiful architecture.

I wouldn’t say Whitby was like York. It’s tiny, certainly not the same number of attractions. Even Harrogate isn’t all that. Okay for shopping and mooching but again that’s about it. Obviously with both places you’re close to the moors or dales and loads of places to visit within relatively easy driving distance but neither has the wealth of history York does so close at hand.

Harrogate, Ripon, Knaresborough, Pickering

Bakewell is lovely and lots to do around it.

Bury St Edmunds is small but has abbey ruins/ history, a cathedral, historic architecture, independent shops and nice areas to walk.

@Bluevelvetsofa I was going to say Chichester.

My DS and GCs live in York so I visit frequently . There is a lovely real ale bar in York station so it definitely isn't alcohol free ! It's one of very few places me and my DH feel perfectly safe walking round at night . Weekends and bank holidays are very busy but you just adapt and go into the city the other days . The schools, green spaces and libraries are lovely and I find it an excellent place for my GCs . I am also familiar with Chester and Shrewsbury which are similar .

Skipton is tiny, but lovely

Wells in Somerset is absolutely gorgeous. It is very old with lots of quaint alleyways, interesting independent shops and restaurants. Not forgetting the swans that ring a bell to be fed at the Bishop's Palace.

Ripon - has further lovely places in the general area as well.

Maybe Norwich if you liked the shopping and old town layout aspect of York. It also has a castle which is a great visit.

Very fond of many of the other places mentioned, but find them annoying when they are chock-full busy, which isn't unusual.

Durham
Lincoln
Whitby

What was it about York that you liked?

The history? The town centre? The river? The extensive out of town shopping? The nightlife? The town centre shopping? Nearby attractions? The compact size?

I don't think there's anywhere else that is exactly like York, but lots of places have similar aspects.

So it depends on what bits of it that you liked.

Chester, or Shrewsbury (which is really lovely but doesn't attract the tourists like Chester, York etc).

Agree with Shrewsbury as a suggestion- lovely place, small enough to be manageable and not too busy.

Stamford. So pretty.

I'm not sure I'd recommend Gloucester! There is one very small alley and the cathedral that's nice. The docks are ok at best. The rest is fairly grim.

Chester has been mentioned several times, but it is probably the closest city with a York feel about it, at least that is my experience. Well worth a visit !

Oh yes I agree with Wells. Much smaller but so pretty.

Bury St Edmunds I know well and it's nice but not a huge amount to do imo.

Gloucester is a bit grim but the cathedral is stunning and waterfront OK. A short trip is enough.

We had a lovely weekend in Chester recently.
It’s all very compact and easy to walk around.
There is an easy walk along the river and boat rides in better weather.
The shops were not as good as I remembered from 20 years ago! That seems to have happened to most high streets now though.
There were still lots of interesting streets to wander around and lots of decent cafes and restaurants.
We love York too and stay there regularly.

Gloucester is awful. Yes, it's got a lovely cathedral and little close, but otherwise its a bit of a dump.

Wells
Chester
Bath
Durham
Shrewsbury
Tewksebury
Lincoln