Salisbury is one of those cities that can make you wonder whether some committee in the 13th century was simply showing off. It has a …
Salisbury, where England becomes almost unreasonably medieval
Historic Cities
Why Winchester is one of England’s most rewarding historic cities
Winchester is one of those cities that can make the rest of England look faintly as though it meant well but ran out of concentration …
Norwich and the unlikely triumph of a city doing things its own way
With a Norman cathedral, a crooked medieval street plan, a market that has been trading for centuries and a quietly rebellious streak, Norwich is one …
Chester and the agreeable confusion of being almost in another country
With Roman walls, medieval Rows, a grand cathedral and a river that softens all that old stone, Chester is one of England’s most handsome historic …
York’s not-so-secret past lives
If Britain were a stage, York would be one of the few cities to keep changing costumes mid-scene. One moment you’re strolling along a Roman …
Oxford, the city where even the pubs have academic credentials
There are places with history, and then there is Oxford, where the buildings look as if they have been standing in judgement since the Middle …
Birmingham, the city that built everything and brags about nothing
Birmingham doesn’t always shout about itself. That’s one big reason why I like it so much. While London blares and Manchester struts, Brum gets on …
Cardiff for the curious, a capital with character
There are capital cities that feel like they are performing for you and there are others that simply invite you in for a chat and …
Stirling and the legacies of Wallace and Bruce
Few places in Scotland carry the weight of history as heavily as Stirling. Once the key to controlling the north, it was the stage for …
Six London “towns” that make you forget you are in the capital
Greater London is more than the bustle of Oxford Street or the queues for the London Eye. It is also home to pockets of green, …