York by Jenny Ulyatt for Etsy
This is a quick guide to the 50 or so cities of England. But instead of telling you where the nearest shopping malls and zoos are, these focus on the natural world and how to live organic, plant-based and zero-waste lifestyles, to preserve the beautiful city you live in or visit. Why cities? Because that’s where most people live. And usually what starts in the city, filters out to the rest of the country, and world!
Bristol Suspension Bridge by Tanya Voronina for Etsy
Wells is England’s smallest city! Located in Somerset. Nearby is Bath with its Royal Crescent and healing spa baths. It’s just a 13-mile walk to the neighbouring city of Bristol, a maritime port.
Birmingham (birthplace of Balti curry) is one of England’s largest and busiest cities, not far from its fellow cities of Wolverhampton and Coventry.
Yorkshire has many cities including Wakefield, Bradford, Sheffield, Leeds, Ripon, Doncaster and Kingston-upon-Hull. The elegant city of York has a pub for every day of the year, and 500 ghosts!
Watching Over an Angel by Lucy Pittaway
The North East cities are Newcastle upon Tyne, Durham and Sunderland. The coldest places in our land!
Seaside Resort by Hannah Cole for Whistlefish
Brighton & Hove are neighbouring boroughs, the former more lively and young, and the latter a wealthy suburb by the sea. Further west up the coast is the marina city of Chichester. And further still along the coast are the cities of Portsmouth (faces Isle of Wight) and the sailing city of Southampton.
Pole Position by Chris Williamson for Green Pebble
Cambridge, Ely and Peterborough are all in the county of Cambridgeshire. Nearest the coast is the city of Lincoln. Further south is the beautiful city of Norwich.
Canterbury in Kent is the setting for Pilgrim’s Progress. Nearby in Essex you’ll find the cities of Colchester, Chelmsford and Southend-on-Sea (the latter granted status in memory of the murdered MP David Amess).
The northwest has several cities: Liverpool, Preston, Salford, Manchester, Lancaster, Carlisle and Chester.
In the southwest, find the cities of Truro, Plymouth, Exeter, Gloucester and Salisbury (American writer Bill Bryson calls its cathedral England’s most beautiful building).
In the Midlands, we find the cities of Derby, Lichfield, Stoke-on-Trent, Nottingham, Leicester and the small beautiful city of Hereford (bordering Wales).
Escape from the City by Lucy Pittaway
London is of course our capital city, home to over 8 million people. Yet Bill Bryson says it’s more like a big forest, due to so much green space. Also in the southeast is Milton Keynes (a new build city), St Albans and Oxford.
