10 Best Cities in Great Britain

"From the history-soaked medieval tenements, vennels and wynds of the Old Town to the sweeping elegance of the Georgian New Town, Edinburgh deserves its reputation as one of the most beautiful and compelling cities in the world."

There can be few more cosmopolitan cities on earth. People pour in from across the world to visit, work or live. Londoners are used to hoardings marking the progress of colossal infrastructure projects such as Crossrail and the revitalisation of King’s Cross-St Pancras, and new skyscrapers, even entire new areas, such as the Embassy Quarter and Battersea Power Station south of the river, are transforming the skyline. Restaurants, bars and theatres are buzzing and the range of events on offer – from sport to food pop-ups, from music festivals to theatre – is unbeatable. Right here, right now, London is somewhere you just have to be."

This is the highest that the Yorkshire city has appeared in recent years, matching its performance in 2012. It has significantly improved its standing among Telegraph readers.
Why? "Because few cities in the world can rival York for history and character. A picturesque riverside city encircled by a ribbon of ancient walls, York has a fascinating provenance that stretches back 2,000 years. Roman emperors were crowned here, William ‘Braveheart’ Wallace’s head decorated its battlements and cannonball scars from the English Civil War pockmark the stonework. Nonetheless, the city has aged well; from the medieval stained glass of its great Gothic cathedral to the Roman roads beneath your feet, the past is delightfully inescapable."

"Bath ticks pretty much all the boxes for a perfect short break... sweeping Georgian crescents... a fascinating and easily accessible history, from the Roman Baths to the life and times of one-time resident Jane Austen... interesting, digestible galleries and museums... good, affordable places to eat... [and] a wide selection of independent shops."

"It's smaller, prettier and gentler than Oxford, but Cambridge's honey-stone colleges are just as beautiful, many set against a backdrop of the River Cam, where hapless tourists and inebriated students clash punts during the summer.
"You can see great art at the Fitzwilliam Museum and Kettle's Yard, hear the Kings College Choir sing at a chapel service or walk through the meadows to tea in the lovely village of Grantchester, home of Rupert Brooke and Jeffrey Archer - now finding new fame as the setting for ITV's eponymous drama."

Another fine medieval cathedral city, this time in north-west England. Chester is renowned for its shopping, its Roman walls… and its zoo.

One of the most strikingly situated cities in all Britain. Few cities can compete with the grandeur of the train arrival here, with the cathedral looming over the River Wear. Make sure you take a riverside walk to take it all in.

Oxford blends medieval charm with the buzz of a modern city. The city may have given her name to everything from a prestigious dictionary to a bitter marmalade, but it is the university that most people associate with the town. Over the past eight centuries eminent scientists, philosophers, authors, archbishops, explorers and politicians have emerged from its ivory towers."

Why? "It could just be the friendliest city in the UK, and - chatty locals aside - Liverpool offers a combination of maritime-heritage architecture, world-class museums and cultural attractions that are all, handily, within a one-mile sweep along the Mersey. In terms of industrial cool Liverpool has it licked - the revitalised Albert Dock - a stone's throw of the city centre - has a clutch of excellent free museums and the edgy new Titanic Hotel a 10-minute drive west is set to revitalise Stanley Dock - one of the six areas afforded Unesco World Heritage status.

After being championed by the fictional radio DJ Alan Partridge, Norfolk's main city - with its often picturesque setting along the River Wensum - is finally being taken a little more seriously as a weekend city break.
Why? Its Norman castle dates from William the Conqueror’s reign and is first mentioned in 1075. Its Anglican Cathedral, with its large monastic cloister and medieval roof bosses, dates from 1096.