List of cities in the United Kingdom

In the UK, city status is not automatically granted to a community meeting any particular criteria. It can only be obtained by receiving a Royal Charter. However some British cities which predate the historical monarchy have been regarded as cities since "time immemorial".

Until the 1880s, a town was usually granted city status if and only if it had a diocesan cathedral within its limits. Nowdays the government holds competitions for city status, with towns submitting applications to the Lord Chancellor, who makes recomendations to the sovereign. These are usually held to mark special events, such as coronationss or royal jubilees.

Some cities in England, Wales and Northern Ireland have the further distinction of having a Lord Mayor (as opposed to a Mayor). In Scotland the equivalent are Lord Provosts.

There are currently 66 cities (including thirty Lord Mayoralties or Lord Provostships) in the UK: 50 cities (23 Lord Mayoralties) in England, 5 cities (2 Lord Mayoralties) in Wales, 6 cities (4 Lord Provostships) in Scotland and 5 cities (1 Lord Mayoralty) in Northern Ireland. Cities with Lord Mayors or Lord Provosts are shown in bold. Those which have been cities since time immemorial have '-' in the since column.

City Since Cathedral* Gov.

English Cities

Bath 1590 Bath Abbey 3

Birmingham 1889 Birmingham Cathedral 1

Bradford 1897 Bradford Cathedral 1

Brighton & Hove 2000 none 1

Bristol 1542 Bristol Cathedral 1

Cambridge 1951 none 2

Canterbury - Christchurch Cathedral 2

Carlisle - Carlisle Cathedral 2

Chester - Chester Cathedral 2

Chichester - Chichester Cathedral 2

Coventry 1345 Coventry Cathedral 1

Derby 1977 Derby Cathedral 1

Durham - Durham Cathedral 2

Ely - Ely Cathedral 4

Exeter - Exeter Cathedral 2

Gloucester - Gloucester Cathedral 2

Hereford 1189 Hereford Cathedral 3

Kingston upon Hull 1299 none 1

Lancaster 1937 none 2

Leeds 1893 none 1

Leicester 1919 Leicester Cathedral 1

Lichfield 1553 Lichfield Cathedral 2

Lincoln - Lincoln Cathedral 2

Liverpool 1880 Liverpool Cathedral 1

London - St Paul's Cathedral 1

Manchester 1853 Manchester Cathedral 1

Newcastle upon Tyne 1882 Newcastle Cathedral 1

Norwich 1195 Norwich Cathedral 2

Nottingham 1897 none 1

Oxford 1542 Christ Church Cathedral 2

Peterborough 1541 Peterborough Cathedral 1

Plymouth 1928 none 1

Portsmouth 1926 Portsmouth Cathedral 1

Preston 2002 none 2

Ripon 1836 Ripon Cathedral 4

Rochester 1211 Rochester Cathedral 3

Salford 1926 none 1

Salisbury - Salisbury Cathedral 2

Sheffield 1893 Sheffield Cathedral 1

Southampton 1964 none 1

St Albans 1877 St Albans Cathedral 2

Stoke-on-Trent 1925 none 1

Sunderland 1992 none 1

Truro 1877 Truro Cathedral 4

Wakefield 1888 Wakefield Cathedral 1

Wells 1205 Wells Cathedral 4

Westminster 1540 Westminster Abbey 1

Winchester - Winchester Cathedral 2

Wolverhampton 2000 none 1

Worcester 1189 Worcester Cathedral 2

York - York Minster 1

Welsh Cities

Bangor - Bangor Cathedral 3

Cardiff 1905 Llandaff Cathedral 1

Newport 2002 St. Woolos Cathedral 1

St. David's 1994 St. David's Cathedral 3

Swansea 1969 none 1

Scottish Cities

Aberdeen 1891 Aberdeen Cathedral 1

Dundee 1889 none 1

Edinburgh 1329 Edinburgh Cathedral 1

Glasgow 1492 Glasgow Cathedral 1

Inverness 2000 none 3

Stirling 2002 none 3

Northern Irish Cities

Armagh 1994 Saint Patrick's Cathedral 1

Belfast 1888 Cathedral Church of Saint Anne 1

Londonderry 1613 Saint Columb's Cathedral 1

Lisburn 2002 none 1

Newry 2002 none 1

1 - City is a unitary authority
2 - City is a district within an administrative county
3 - City is within a unitary authority and has no city council
4 - City is within a district and has no city council
*Cathedral or Episcopal Seat of the Estabished Church

List of cities in the United Kingdom

See Also

External links

City	Since	Cathedral*	Gov.
English Cities
Bath	1590	Bath Abbey	3
Birmingham	1889	Birmingham Cathedral	1
Bradford	1897	Bradford Cathedral	1
Brighton & Hove	2000	none	1
Bristol	1542	Bristol Cathedral	1
Cambridge	1951	none	2
Canterbury	-	Christchurch Cathedral	2
Carlisle	-	Carlisle Cathedral	2
Chester	-	Chester Cathedral	2
Chichester	-	Chichester Cathedral	2
Coventry	1345	Coventry Cathedral	1
Derby	1977	Derby Cathedral	1
Durham	-	Durham Cathedral	2
Ely	-	Ely Cathedral	4
Exeter	-	Exeter Cathedral	2
Gloucester	-	Gloucester Cathedral	2
Hereford	1189	Hereford Cathedral	3
Kingston upon Hull	1299	none	1
Lancaster	1937	none	2
Leeds	1893	none	1
Leicester	1919	Leicester Cathedral	1
Lichfield	1553	Lichfield Cathedral	2
Lincoln	-	Lincoln Cathedral	2
Liverpool	1880	Liverpool Cathedral	1
London	-	St Paul's Cathedral	1
Manchester	1853	Manchester Cathedral	1
Newcastle upon Tyne	1882	Newcastle Cathedral	1
Norwich	1195	Norwich Cathedral	2
Nottingham	1897	none	1
Oxford	1542	Christ Church Cathedral	2
Peterborough	1541	Peterborough Cathedral	1
Plymouth	1928	none	1
Portsmouth	1926	Portsmouth Cathedral	1
Preston	2002	none	2
Ripon	1836	Ripon Cathedral	4
Rochester	1211	Rochester Cathedral	3
Salford	1926	none	1
Salisbury	-	Salisbury Cathedral	2
Sheffield	1893	Sheffield Cathedral	1
Southampton	1964	none	1
St Albans	1877	St Albans Cathedral	2
Stoke-on-Trent	1925	none	1
Sunderland	1992	none	1
Truro	1877	Truro Cathedral	4
Wakefield	1888	Wakefield Cathedral	1
Wells	1205	Wells Cathedral	4
Westminster	1540	Westminster Abbey	1
Winchester	-	Winchester Cathedral	2
Wolverhampton	2000	none	1
Worcester	1189	Worcester Cathedral	2
York	-	York Minster	1
Welsh Cities
Bangor	-	Bangor Cathedral	3
Cardiff	1905	Llandaff Cathedral	1
Newport	2002	St. Woolos Cathedral	1
St. David's	1994	St. David's Cathedral	3
Swansea	1969	none	1
Scottish Cities
Aberdeen	1891	Aberdeen Cathedral	1
Dundee	1889	none	1
Edinburgh	1329	Edinburgh Cathedral	1
Glasgow	1492	Glasgow Cathedral	1
Inverness	2000	none	3
Stirling	2002	none	3
Northern Irish Cities
Armagh	1994	Saint Patrick's Cathedral	1
Belfast	1888	Cathedral Church of Saint Anne	1
Londonderry	1613	Saint Columb's Cathedral	1
Lisburn	2002	none	1
Newry	2002	none	1
1 - City is a unitary authority 2 - City is a district within an administrative county 3 - City is within a unitary authority and has no city council 4 - City is within a district and has no city council *Cathedral or Episcopal Seat of the Estabished Church