What's the most beautiful city in the UK?

[StarryBelle]

Why? Any photos?

I guess it’s down to how each of us defines beauty. Some cities are really picturesque and others have a charm and history about them that can’t be measured just visually.

I think we’re lucky to have so many gems in the UK.

That’s true of London imv

Edinburgh and York without a doubt. The view of Edinburgh from the top of Arthur’s Seat is incredible.

Agree Glasgow is stunning, and a proper city.
London in many parts.
Oxford- beautiful colleges, ancient pubs, meadows.
Liverpool has some fabulous buildings (and so does Bradford actually!) but British cities are beautiful in bits, rather than the whole place.

I would consider Chester a beautiful city and the most unique surviving buildings, along with Wells

Lots of people will say Bath, York, Cambridge etc, but I much prefer cities that are a little more rough around the edges. My favourite is Liverpool and quite like Leeds. Went to Hull and back the other day and enjoyed that too - think it’s unfairly maligned. DC is currently looking at Unis, so am hoping it will be one of those - and also reasonably cheap to live there!

Edinburgh without a doubt.

I love it ❤️❤️

Even this proud weegie would say it has to be Edinburgh. But I'd still rather go to Glasgow for a night out.

Edinburgh, obviously. Thought everyone knew this?

https://www.wells.co.uk. pictures of Wells

I grew up in Colchester. Parts are quaint, but not on a par with Edinburgh, York, Bath etc

For smaller places I was amazed by Wells when I went there, I had no idea it was so beautiful.

Oxford and Chester

Windiest place on earth. I hate visiting!

Obviously Edinburgh. It’s where my heart lives.

Hugh MacDiarmid's "Edinburgh".

I look across the world and see
Only its strange things like mysel' –
Edinburgh in its majesty,
Time-honour'd, historic, and fell.

The Castle rock and Arthur's Seat
Like whales at either end o' it,
And a' its rickles o' houses sweet
Like fish-scales glitterin' atween their fit.

Nae child but's born wi' hair like this
(Grey granite 'neath grey skies).
Nae rose but's bred wi' thorns like this –
The thistle's nae surprise!

It’s been a long time since I’ve been to Edinburgh and I’ve never been to York (or the North much) so for me in my limited knowledge it would have to be Bath.

I think it’s a shame that we only have pockets of beauty in the UK. I used to live in Switzerland and the question there would be more like, what part of Switzerland isn’t beautiful (and that would be quite a head scratcher and I wouldn’t know the answer). If every town and city there can be beautiful why do we have to be so ugly 😕

I'm lucky enough to live in York - my favourite thing is all the little bits that not many tourists end up going to, there are so many medieval halls it's unreal - we have used them for a couple of family occasions including my sons 5th birthday party. I do really love it here, especially having grown up in a very grotty industrial city!

Another chiming in with Edinburgh, Bath, York (in that order imo). Lots of other cities have beautiful parts but those three stand apart.

Durham as my top followed by Liverpool. Love both but every time I see the cathedral in durham from the many many vantage points it just makes me happy.

St David's

But there's all the green space and the river. And the botanic gardens. I seem to end up walking 15-20 km whenever I visit.

With most beautiful cities it's the combination of buildings with parks and natural features which makes them. Of course the site of many old cities was chosen for proximity to a river, defensible high ground etc.

Bath and York I can't decide

And the best of it is they don’t need to be!! Recently visited Chicago and it was a spectacular blend of architecture.

DD is at Uni in Bath and whilst it has gorgeous architecture I don't think it is as nice as it once was. There is a roughness now - beggars, boarding up shops, litter, that did not seem to be there a few years ago.

Chester, York, Bath, Oxford, Durham, Edinburgh, Cambridge are all gorgeous. Yes to the lovely bits of Leeds city centre, particularly the arcades, tiled hall and corn exchange. The bits of Canterbury I saw were great too.

But London? Some absolutely gorgeous bits but a hideous skyline with ugly stupid towers because the planners didn’t prioritise preserving the beauty already there.

The other European capitals were protective of their architecture and only allowed towers where it wouldn’t detract from the existing stunning landmarks.

London is an incredible world city. It deserved the same consideration. Stunning areas, but a skyline let down by greed over aesthetics.