Uk city break recommendations please

[CPtart]

We are planning a UK city break for 3-4 days in October half term and need some inspiration on where might be good with two DS age8 and 10. Have previously stayed in Edinburgh, Cardiff and York. We live in Lancashire so nothing too close to us but not several hours drive either.
Any ideas or recommendations much appreciated.

London?

Warwick, Oxford, Cambridge, York.

Sorry just realized you have already been to York.

Glasgow.

So much to do and see, a lot for free.

Easy underground to get around city

Fab food

Maybe 3 hours away from you, max.

Wonderful free museums for those ages and you to enjoy

Shopping great too.

I was going to say Manchester...go and visit the velodrome; amazing to watch as was the BMX track alongside! We even saw Liam Philips who has just won the BMX world championships...awesome!

Newcastle? Bristol (and/or Bath)?

Can't say enough about Manchester. Free buses within city centre, plenty of museums, tons of shops, nice pubs, great restaurants, including best curry houses ever.

Chester - nice city centre and a zoo! Lots of good countryside nearby too.

Manchester or Liverpool might be a good option if your DS are into football. If not, then I wouldn't really recommend either of these cities. I know them very well and whilst I love them, I wouldn't recommend for a kids city break really.

Chester is nice too, great zoo and nice shopping. But London beats all of the above hands down - Buckingham Palace, Tower of London, Natural History Museum etc etc. It might be a bit further than you would want to go but I think it's worth it.

Thanks for ideas so far. Living only an hour away from Manchester we are pretty familiar with it anyway and have done many of the obvious attractions. Ditto Chester, great as it is.

London does appeal but would 3-4 days be enough?? Any recs for cheapish yet reasonable accommodation?

I agree with Glasgow, we went for a break there a while ago and can't wait to go back.

Milton Keynes. Ok I know it's not the most obvious place to go but it has all the ingredients for a great short break with kids:
Bletchley park
The national museum of computing
Mk museum (interactive, what life was like in the past rather than the history of Mk, your dc are perfect age for it)
Silverstone race circuit just a few miles away, has events through the year not just formula one
Karting circuit if you want to drive yourself rather than watch others
Big paintballing/spy mission/save the world from zombies company with indoor and outdoor venues
Indoor skiing on real snow
Indoor skydiving
One of the best theatres outside London which gets some great productions
Great shopping - from the shopping centre to ikea to primark to all sorts of other places
Treetop climbing experience
Gullivers world (probably aimed at kids a bit younger than yours)
Woburn safari park
A couple of steam train places within 10 miles
Bike hire around one of the lakes - including banana bikes, tandems and all sorts of others
Zipwire over a lake and watersports
Art and craft courses and workshops
Lots of parks and countryside to walk and explore
Stowe house national trust a few miles away and other national trust places not much further beyond
Birds of prey centre and flying museum less than half an hour away

And more besides but you get the idea!

Oh and Leicestershire used to do a bargain break offer that included hotel and tickets to several attractions - try looking at the leics tourist office or googling go Leicester or visit Leicestershire - sorry can't remember the exact name of the promotion.

My initial though was Glasgow too.
It's a great city. Loads to do.

Wherever you go I would recommend a treasure trail.
Go to treasuretrails.co.uk

We have done them in Glasgow and Cornwall, they are all over the country.
You download a set of instructions from website and follow then to find clues. It's a great way of finding new places that you otherwise might not have discovered.
Our kids loved them too

Mx

Ok found it - google stay play explore Leicestershire for details on their short breaks.

Milton Keynes? Please don't do it OP!

I agree with those saying Glasgow. Amazing city!

Glasgow, bath, Bristol

You can do loads in London in 3-4 days.

Lots of Premier Inns to choose from depending on where you want to stay. You can get all 4 of you in one room and free breakfast for the kids.

The Premier Inn county hall is great, nicely done out and in a fab location. Would highly recommend. The Natural History Museum would be great for your DS and free to get in.

Would you consider checking for cheap flights and going to Belfast?

Possibly Wiggles. Although having googled Glasgow its looking a pretty good bet, and also got the thumbs up from a friend who visits regularly on business.
Just need to see what's in the area where I may be able to use my Tesco vouchers and keep the cost down!

Yay , I agree Glasgow is great. Science centre may be a goer with Tesoro vouchers.

Liverpool. lots for kids- museums, duck tour at the docks, within striking distance of Chester zoo, Knowsley safari park, and near a pretty nice beach at formby. never been there on holiday I grew up there and loved doing all that stuff, still do!