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Which UK cities or towns have lovely centres worth visiting?

89 replies

Smokeywater · 22/09/2026 06:48

What city has a great city centre and possibly worth a visit (in response to the other thread about the worst city centres), but towns included too.
Edinburgh obviously, Carlisle is being spruced up and has a cathedral (it became a cathedral in 1133, many restorations but last was in 19thC)), smallish museum and art gallery, a castle and the station all within a short walk of the centre. The centre has lost quite a few of the usual shopping venues but still has a large M&S.
Beverley still has a nice old market town feel. The minster is impressive and St Mary's Church is lovely. One or two nice clothes shops.
Any other suggestions?

OP posts:
CopiedMyBlottingBook · 22/09/2026 07:53

Some smaller places -

Skipton
Hebden Bridge
Knaresborough

(Edit - pressed post too soon)

ACatInHellsChance · 22/09/2026 07:54

Liverpool
Conway
A village but Tutbury

BarrShandy · 22/09/2026 07:57

Shrewsbury deserves a mention.

NancyThompson · 22/09/2026 08:22

Brighton gets a lot of hate on here, but it's a great place for a visit - given that it's not that big, it's got an absolute maze of interesting little streets to explore then the whole sea front on top of that. Also prone to good weather by UK standards.

NancyThompson · 22/09/2026 08:24

I genuinely love the central bits of London. Loads to see and do, satisfyingly large and made up of lots of different areas, and it feels efficient compared to most of the rest of the UK.

LeatherFace · 22/09/2026 08:25

Bath really is lovely.

Smaller, but Folkestone has had a lot of investment in the past 10 years or so and is great now particularly in nice weather!

LeatherFace · 22/09/2026 08:27

Rye and Camber Sands also nice.

The other end of the country so not really day trips (assume you’re south?!) Newcastle and the coast near there, Berwick and the coast / Holy Island.

InQuiresandplaceswheretheysing · 22/09/2026 08:30

I was really surprised by Morpeth when I went recently. Loads of really nice shops.

Dandeloosha · 22/09/2026 08:33

I love the Industrial Revolution/merchant/manufacturing cities (I may be wrong so don’t come at me) like Liverpool, Manchester, Glasgow, and Belfast with their imposing public buildings, and bustling and vibrant city centres and markets. I also love the cathedral cities like York, Winchester, Chichester, and Salisbury for a day out (though weirdly I really don’t like Bath), and there’s charming little nooks close to otherwise unremarkable cities, like Southsea near Portsmouth or Bridgenorth near Wolverhampton.

PumpkinSpicedFattie · 22/09/2026 08:35

Ely is lovely

Sunbringer · 22/09/2026 08:37

York, Canterbury, Royal Tunbridge Wells, Bath

luckylavender · 22/09/2026 08:38

Harrogate, Crickhowell

PussyGaylore · 22/09/2026 08:41

York
Bristol
Edinburgh
Cardiff
Bath ( make sure to go off peak otherwise it’s rammed with tourists)
Winchester

IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads · 22/09/2026 08:42

Motnight · 22/09/2026 07:51

York is beautiful, I visited for the first time earlier this month and already want to go back!

I work in York once or twice a week. I feel very lucky every time I get off the bus.

MadisonAvenue · 22/09/2026 08:42

Lichfield
Norwich
Ludlow
Tutbury (small village but nice independent shops/eateries, a castle which is reopening next year and wild Peacocks walking around the streets).

SheilaFentiman · 22/09/2026 08:43

Durham

user1471464912 · 22/09/2026 08:47

Recently went for a weekend to Beverley in Yorkshire. Beautiful centre with the minster looming over the Georgian houses and loads of independent and chain shops. Cafes and bakeries as well. Recommend for a weekend visit definitely.

Portugal1987 · 22/09/2026 08:53

Cambridge
Bath
Oxford
Bristol
Brighton
Rye
Whitstable

LoafofSellotape · 22/09/2026 08:54

Needanadultgapyear · 22/09/2026 06:56

Winchester is lovely a Cathedral, the west tower and the great hall are the historical bits. Still a good range of shops with a mix of independents and nationals. The cathedral cafe is a nice place for lunch good value they do a great soup each day which is made of whatever the local veggie farmers have too much of.

I had a lovely weekend in Winchester recently, it was great.

Pearlton · 22/09/2026 09:03

Lincoln, Edinburgh, Sherborne, Salisbury, Bury St Edmond’s, Bodmin, Weymouth/Portland/Abbotsbury/Dorchester area,, Cheltenham, Wells, Castle Cary/Bruton, Cambridge, Bath, Bristol, Glastonbury, Exeter, St Ives, Cheddar, Birmingham, London, Caerleon, Hereford

poundshopkardashians · 22/09/2026 13:50

Bodmin? Bodmin is a shithole. Full of closed down shops and depressed as fuck.

wigywhoo · 22/09/2026 23:08

Norwich!

Ritaskitchen · 22/09/2026 23:16

Chester is lovely

feellikeanalien · 22/09/2026 23:22

Durham is lovely up by the cathedral. We recently did a boat trip there which was very pretty
Lots of interesting history.

LoserWinner · 22/09/2026 23:24

St Albans and Rochester are rather nice, and an easy trip from London.