# Towns & Small Cities of England & Wales



## Bristol Mike (Aug 5, 2007)

Wells
*SOMERSET*

This is the first anomaly - technically a city that is no larger than a small market town. These photos were taken on *Tuesday 6th August 2013*. Wells is a cathedral city and civil parish in the Mendip district of Somerset, on the southern edge of the Mendip Hills. Although the population recorded in the 2001 census is 10,406, it has had city status since 1205. It is the second smallest English city in terms of area and population after the City of London although, unlike the latter, Wells is not part of a larger metropolitan conurbation, and is consequently described in some sources as being England's smallest city.

The name Wells derives from the three wells dedicated to Saint Andrew, one in the market place and two within the grounds of the Bishop's Palace and cathedral. There was a small Roman settlement around the wells, but its importance grew under the Saxons when King Ine of Wessex founded a minster church in 704, around which the settlement grew. Wells became a trading centre and involved in cloth making before its involvement in both the English Civil War and the Monmouth Rebellion during the 17th century. In the 19th century, transport infrastructure improved with stations on three different railway lines.

The cathedral and the associated religious and architectural history have made Wells a tourist destination, which provides much of the employment. The city has a variety of sporting and cultural activities and houses several schools including The Blue School, a state coeducational comprehensive school originally founded in 1641 (and became commonly known as the Blue School by 1654) and the independent Wells Cathedral School, which was founded in 909 and is one of the five established musical schools for school-age children in Britain. The historic architecture of the city has also been used as a location for several films and television programmes.

For more information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wells


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## Bristol Mike (Aug 5, 2007)




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## openlyJane (Feb 3, 2010)

As much as I like the picturesque nature of small town/city Britain - at this stage in my life I think I'd die of boredom if I were to live there.


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## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

Really love those small towns; great, very nice photos Mike :cheers:


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## Bristol Mike (Aug 5, 2007)

openlyJane said:


> As much as I like the picturesque nature of small town/city Britain - at this stage in my life I think I'd die of boredom if I were to live there.


Same here. You can see the most prevalent demographic in most of these pictures. It's great to have these places on the doorstep though. 



christos-greece said:


> Really love those small towns; great, very nice photos Mike :cheers:


Thanks mate!


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## Bristol Mike (Aug 5, 2007)




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## Bristol Mike (Aug 5, 2007)




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## skylark (Jan 27, 2010)

charming towns.....they're neat and well preserved.


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## Bristol Mike (Aug 5, 2007)

^^ Thanks! Glad you like.


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## Bristol Mike (Aug 5, 2007)




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## capricorn2000 (Nov 30, 2006)

Reading is one city with a great mix of the Old English and contemporary architectures
while Wells retains its old English town ambience. Both have that certain charms though.


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## Bristol Mike (Aug 5, 2007)

^^ Agreed. I've always loved Wells but Reading was a definite pleasant surprise. Thanks for the comment.


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## Bristol Mike (Aug 5, 2007)




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## Bristol Mike (Aug 5, 2007)




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## the_sage (Nov 27, 2009)

Very nice, Britain at its best!


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## Coihaique (Feb 22, 2011)

openlyJane said:


> As much as I like the picturesque nature of small town/city Britain - at this stage in my life I think I'd die of boredom if I were to live there.


Well if I had a good Job there and a good Internet connection  I would actually prefer to live in a city like Wells than in London. In my opinion a charming surrounding and short distance to nature is more often needed than the cultural advantages of a big city. But it would be great if a bigger city is not that far away -(lets say 30 km) but it also should not be too close.

Great pictures.


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## Bristol Mike (Aug 5, 2007)

the_sage said:


> Very nice, Britain at its best!


Thanks very much! 



Coihaique said:


> Well if I had a good Job there and a good Internet connection  I would actually prefer to live in a city like Wells than in London. In my opinion a charming surrounding and short distance to nature is more often needed than the cultural advantages of a big city. But it would be great if a bigger city is not that far away -(lets say 30 km) but it also should not be too close.
> 
> Great pictures.


Fair comment. Where I would prefer to live in a bigger city during my younger years, I can imagine I might prefer a place like Wells to live within a commutable distance to a larger city. In this case, Bristol is not far away but Wells does not have a train link, only bus. Glad you like the pictures. Thanks for commenting.


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## openlyJane (Feb 3, 2010)

Great pictures! Love the row of chimneys!


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## Bristol Mike (Aug 5, 2007)

^^ Thanks. Vicars Close - claimed to be the oldest purely residential street with its original buildings all surviving intact in Europe.


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## Bristol Mike (Aug 5, 2007)

bump


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## Bristol Mike (Aug 5, 2007)




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## Bristol Mike (Aug 5, 2007)




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## Bristol Mike (Aug 5, 2007)




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## Bristol Mike (Aug 5, 2007)

And that concludes this tour of Wells. Any questions or comments before the next batch?


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## Bristol Mike (Aug 5, 2007)

Bradford-on-Avon
*WILTSHIRE*

Bradford-on-Avon is a town in west Wiltshire, with a population of about 9,326. The town's canal, historic buildings, shops, pubs and restaurants make it popular with tourists. These photos were taken on *Friday 9th August 2013*, hence quite a few tourists around. The history of the town can be traced back to Roman origins. It has several buildings dating to the 17th century, when the town grew due to the thriving English woollen textile industry.

The town lies partly on the Avon Valley, and partly on the hill that marks the Vale's western edge, eight miles southeast of Bath, in the hilly countryside between the Mendip Hills, Salisbury Plain and the Cotswold Hills. The local area around Bath provides the Jurassic limestone (Bath Stone) from which the older buildings are constructed. The River Avon runs through the town, giving it its name.

For more information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bradford_on_Avon


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## openlyJane (Feb 3, 2010)

I'm very familiar with this kind of scene, from my time spent living in the southern cotswolds. charming and lovely.


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## Coihaique (Feb 22, 2011)

Bradford-on-Avon looks also very nice. In my view it would be "Picture perfect" if the streets had cobblestone pavement. Asphalt always looks cheap (especially with this yellow stripes ). How does the traditonal surface of such streets look in this Region?
But overall again a very nice city. Someday I have to do a long holiday in the UK and explore the smaler cities and the nice villages and beaches far away from the big cities.


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## skymantle (Jul 17, 2010)

It may well look picture perfect with cobbled streets but it's less practical, also have you ever lived on a cobbled or paved street? It's very noisy. With ashfalt cars can quietly whisk passed those street facing buildings.

Beautiful places, idyllically English. :cheers:


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## Coihaique (Feb 22, 2011)

skymantle said:


> It may well look picture perfect with cobbled streets but it's less practical, also have you ever lived on a cobbled or paved street? It's very noisy. With ashfalt cars can quietly whisk passed those street facing buildings.
> 
> Beautiful places, idyllically English. :cheers:


Yes I live in the old town of my city, where every street is a cobble paved street and I prefer it a lot . Of course this streets are no main streets with lots of trafic. The main streets should be with asphalt but the ordinary old town streets should be cobbled in my opinion. Of course you need a speed limit in such areas but old town areas are often very narrow. If you drive lets say 10-20 km/hour the rolling noise is less than the motor noise so it makes not much different any more. This will maybe Change with the electro-car. But you are right Asphalt has advantages - it is also cheaper and better for disabled People - but there are fine solutions for this in stone too. - but of course this places here are idyllic enough.


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## Bristol Mike (Aug 5, 2007)

openlyJane said:


> I'm very familiar with this kind of scene, from my time spent living in the southern cotswolds. charming and lovely.


Of course, another beautiful part of the country. 



Coihaique said:


> Bradford-on-Avon looks also very nice. In my view it would be "Picture perfect" if the streets had cobblestone pavement. Asphalt always looks cheap (especially with this yellow stripes ). How does the traditonal surface of such streets look in this Region?
> But overall again a very nice city. Someday I have to do a long holiday in the UK and explore the smaler cities and the nice villages and beaches far away from the big cities.





skymantle said:


> It may well look picture perfect with cobbled streets but it's less practical, also have you ever lived on a cobbled or paved street? It's very noisy. With ashfalt cars can quietly whisk passed those street facing buildings.
> 
> Beautiful places, idyllically English. :cheers:





Coihaique said:


> Yes I live in the old town of my city, where every street is a cobble paved street and I prefer it a lot . Of course this streets are no main streets with lots of trafic. The main streets should be with asphalt but the ordinary old town streets should be cobbled in my opinion. Of course you need a speed limit in such areas but old town areas are often very narrow. If you drive lets say 10-20 km/hour the rolling noise is less than the motor noise so it makes not much different any more. This will maybe Change with the electro-car. But you are right Asphalt has advantages - it is also cheaper and better for disabled People - but there are fine solutions for this in stone too. - but of course this places here are idyllic enough.


All very good comments - thanks very much! One tends to find that the pedestrianised streets are actually cobbled, even some for vehicles, but predominantly the roads are tarmac. True though that a lighter colour would be more inviting but hey ho.


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## Bristol Mike (Aug 5, 2007)




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## Bristol Mike (Aug 5, 2007)

- delete -


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## Bristol Mike (Aug 5, 2007)




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## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

^^ Great, very nice updates Mike :cheers:


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## Bristol Mike (Aug 5, 2007)

Thanks mate!


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## Bristol Mike (Aug 5, 2007)




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## Bristol Mike (Aug 5, 2007)




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## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

^^ These new also looking good, very nice


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## Benonie (Dec 21, 2005)

Looking good? Looking great! :cheers: Real postcard villages and lovely presented by Mike.


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## yubnub (May 3, 2010)

Fantastic images! Sitting here in Germany looking at these places make me more than a little homesick. I will be following this thread with great pleasure, thanks for making it


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## Bristol Mike (Aug 5, 2007)




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## paul62 (Jan 27, 2012)

Beautiful.


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## Amrafel (Nov 26, 2006)

Really beautiful pictures. I hope I will find time (and money ) to visit some of these towns. But for now, I want to see more pictures! :cheers:


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## Bristol Mike (Aug 5, 2007)

paul62 said:


> Beautiful.


Thanks mate! 



Amrafel said:


> Really beautiful pictures. I hope I will find time (and money ) to visit some of these towns. But for now, I want to see more pictures! :cheers:


Thank you! More pictures coming up.


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## Bristol Mike (Aug 5, 2007)




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## Bristol Mike (Aug 5, 2007)




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## openlyJane (Feb 3, 2010)

The abbey provides such a striking sight! 

I love coming across these sorts of views - particularly in the west country.

There is a magical place called 'Owlpen' in Gloucestershire: you descend and descend down a winding approach road, and there before you is the most enchanting scene of Owlpen manor and church.


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## Bristol Mike (Aug 5, 2007)

openlyJane said:


> The abbey provides such a striking sight!
> 
> I love coming across these sorts of views - particularly in the west country.
> 
> There is a magical place called 'Owlpen' in Gloucestershire: you descend and descend down a winding approach road, and there before you is the most enchanting scene of Owlpen manor and church.


Thanks Jane! Yes, the view from further up the hill down is a beautiful one, could have just done with a bit more sunshine.

I've just google searched Owlpen and it does indeed look idyllic, especially in the autumn colours. Perhaps a visit is in order!


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## Bristol Mike (Aug 5, 2007)

Tyntesfield
*NORTH SOMERSET*

Tyntesfield is a Victorian Gothic Revival house and estate near Wraxall, North Somerset, just southwest of Bristol. I visited the Grade I listed building on *Saturday 21st September 2013*.

The house is named after the Tynte baronets, who had owned estates in the area since about 1500. The location was formerly that of a 16th-century hunting lodge, which was used as a farmhouse until the early 19th century. In the 1830s a Georgian mansion was built on the site, and this was bought by English businessman William Gibbs. In the 1860s, Gibbs had the house significantly expanded and remodelled; later, a chapel being added in the 1870s. The Gibbs family owned the house until the death of Richard Gibbs in 2001.

The grounds not only comprise the house itself but also a very pleasant garden with extensive open grass space and woodland, with an orangery further down the main drive. Access is from above, providing a downhill walk to the house, views looking south towards the Mendip Hills.

For more information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyntesfield


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## Bristol Mike (Aug 5, 2007)




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## openlyJane (Feb 3, 2010)

Lovely!


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## Bristol Mike (Aug 5, 2007)

^^ Thanks!


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## paul62 (Jan 27, 2012)

Beautiful place. 
Good update.


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## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

^^ Amazing, very nice updates Mike


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## Bristol Mike (Aug 5, 2007)

paul62 said:


> Beautiful place.
> Good update.





christos-greece said:


> ^^ Amazing, very nice updates Mike


Many thanks both!


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## Bristol Mike (Aug 5, 2007)




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## Thodmas (Oct 6, 2013)

Good shots of Reading.
__________________


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## Bristol Mike (Aug 5, 2007)

Thanks!


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## Bristol Mike (Aug 5, 2007)

Next page >>


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## Bristol Mike (Aug 5, 2007)

Next page >>>


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## Bristol Mike (Aug 5, 2007)




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## openlyJane (Feb 3, 2010)

Tyntesfield is really quite magical. Gorgeous coloured stone.


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## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

Really great and very nice new photos


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## Bristol Mike (Aug 5, 2007)

openlyJane said:


> Tyntesfield is really quite magical. Gorgeous coloured stone.


For a years I had no idea it was there, but I'm so glad I came across it! 



christos-greece said:


> Really great and very nice new photos


Thanks very much mate!


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## Bristol Mike (Aug 5, 2007)




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## Guest (Oct 7, 2013)

Wow Mike - stunning as always ! You have transported us to Harry Potter's World  I love this building and wouldn't mind living in it


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## Bristol Mike (Aug 5, 2007)

SYDNEY said:


> Wow Mike - stunning as always ! You have transported us to Harry Potter's World  I love this building and wouldn't mind living in it


Thanks mate, good to hear from you! It does looks a bit like a Harry Potter'ish' place doesn't it. For sure, if I end up doing a Master at York next year, I'll show pictures of the street on which Diagon Alley is based.


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## Guest (Oct 8, 2013)

Bristol Mike said:


> Thanks mate, good to hear from you! It does looks a bit like a Harry Potter'ish' place doesn't it. For sure, if I end up doing a Master at York next year, I'll show pictures of the street on which Diagon Alley is based.


Can't wait - thanks :hug:


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## Pryde Hart (Dec 17, 2013)

Another very good photo thread.


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## Bristol Mike (Aug 5, 2007)

^^ Thanks very much!


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## Bristol Mike (Aug 5, 2007)

Windsor
*BERKSHIRE*

Time to bring this thread back to life after a very long time, over a year in fact! We're back in Windsor again, this time in winter, on *Saturday 18th January 2014.* It was a rather grey day but the Thames was still very high following the horrendously wet start to the winter.

























































































​


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## Bristol Mike (Aug 5, 2007)




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## paul62 (Jan 27, 2012)

Windsor looks beautiful.
Good shots Mike.


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## Bristol Mike (Aug 5, 2007)

Thanks Paul! It's a real gem isn't it.


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## Bristol Mike (Aug 5, 2007)




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## Bristol Mike (Aug 5, 2007)




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## Bristol Mike (Aug 5, 2007)




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## Bristol Mike (Aug 5, 2007)

Next page..


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## Bristol Mike (Aug 5, 2007)

Next page...


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## Bristol Mike (Aug 5, 2007)

Next page....


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## sky-eye (Jan 2, 2003)

Bath look very beautifull. Thanks for posting.


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## MetaCRNL (Feb 26, 2012)

Just found this thread, nice stuff. Spent most of my childhood in Wiltshire so can very much relate to the comments about places being nice but boring to live in.
Got any photos of Shaftesbury? Always liked going there.


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## Bristol Mike (Aug 5, 2007)

sky-eye said:


> Bath look very beautifull. Thanks for posting.


Thanks! It's a gem and well worth a visit. 



MetaCRNL said:


> Just found this thread, nice stuff. Spent most of my childhood in Wiltshire so can very much relate to the comments about places being nice but boring to live in.
> Got any photos of Shaftesbury? Always liked going there.


It's great to have access to all these places but I just couldn't live there, not at this stage in my life anyway. Sadly I do not, but it's certainly on my list of places to visit.


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## El_Greco (Apr 1, 2005)

Ahh Bath, I've been there twice and now I'm thinking maybe I need to revisit it!


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## Bristol Mike (Aug 5, 2007)

El_Greco said:


> Ahh Bath, I've been there twice and now I'm thinking maybe I need to revisit it!


I'll never tire of Bath personally.


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## Bristol Mike (Aug 5, 2007)

Birmingham
*WEST MIDLANDS*

These photos were taken on *Saturday 28th March 2015*. I realise this thread is about small cities but I would quite like to change the title to just cities as there aren't enough photos to dedicate to an entire thread. 

Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands. It is the largest and most populous British city outside London with 1,123,330 residents (2014 est.), and its population increase of 88,400 residents between the 2001 and 2011 censuses was greater than that of any other British local authority. The city lies within the West Midlands Built-up Area, the third most populous built-up area in the United Kingdom with 2,440,986 residents (2011 census), and its metropolitan area is the United Kingdom's second most populous with 3,701,107 residents (2012 est.) and is also the 9th largest metropolitan area in Europe.

A medium-sized market town during the medieval period, Birmingham grew to international prominence in the 18th century at the heart of the Midlands Enlightenment and subsequent Industrial Revolution, which saw the town at the forefront of worldwide advances in science, technology and economic development, producing a series of innovations that laid many of the foundations of modern industrial society. By 1791 it was being hailed as "the first manufacturing town in the world". Birmingham's distinctive economic profile, with thousands of small workshops practising a wide variety of specialised and highly skilled trades, encouraged exceptional levels of creativity and innovation and provided a diverse and resilient economic base for industrial prosperity that was to last into the final quarter of the 20th century. Its resulting high level of social mobility also fostered a culture of broad-based political radicalism, that under leaders from Thomas Attwood to Joseph Chamberlain was to give it a political influence unparalleled in Britain outside London, and a pivotal role in the development of British democracy. From the summer of 1940 to the spring of 1943, Birmingham was bombed heavily by the German Luftwaffe in what is known as the Birmingham Blitz. The damage done to the city's infrastructure led to extensive redevelopment in subsequent decades.

Today Birmingham's economy is dominated by the service sector. The city is a major international commercial centre, ranked as a beta− world city by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network; and an important transport, retail, events and conference hub. Its metropolitan economy is the second largest in the United Kingdom with a GDP of $121.1bn (2014), and its six universities make it the largest centre of higher education in the country outside London. Birmingham's major cultural institutions – including the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, the Birmingham Royal Ballet, the Birmingham Repertory Theatre, the Library of Birmingham and the Barber Institute of Fine Arts – enjoy international reputations, and the city has vibrant and influential grassroots art, music, literary and culinary scenes. Birmingham is the fourth-most visited city in the UK by foreign visitors.

People from Birmingham are called 'Brummies', a term derived from the city's nickname of 'Brum'. This originates from the city's dialect name, Brummagem, which may in turn have been derived from one of the city's earlier names, 'Bromwicham'. There is a distinctive Brummie accent and dialect.

More information here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birmingham


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## Bristol Mike (Aug 5, 2007)




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## openlyJane (Feb 3, 2010)

Good to see some images of Birmingham; a city which we do not see enough of on SSC.


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## Bristol Mike (Aug 5, 2007)

^^ I agree. There's a lot on offer in Birmingham with heaps of potential. I was quite impressed with the city overall actually.


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## diddyD (May 12, 2014)

Nice pics.


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## DWest (Dec 3, 2009)

impressive cities and the old designed buildings are massively built.


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## Bristol Mike (Aug 5, 2007)

diddyD said:


> Nice pics.





DWest said:


> impressive cities and the old designed buildings are massively built.


Thanks very much!


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## Bristol Mike (Aug 5, 2007)




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## fozzy (Nov 13, 2007)

The thread is for towns and small cities NOT big cities Birmingham is the second biggest city in the UK. "Good pics though"


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## MusicMan1 (Aug 18, 2013)

fozzy said:


> The thread is for towns and small cities NOT big cities Birmingham is the second biggest city in the UK. "Good pics though"


He does acknowledge that tbf.

I've been to central Birmingham, as I've visited my brother at Uni (plus been through New Street as we all have!)
Birmingham to me, at least these days, is an interesting, if not quite unique place. The architectural styles of the city centre, seems quite unique to me. Most of the oldest buildings, in my eyes anyway, seem to be of something of a blend of Vic. Gothic and Baroque, such as the City Hall, and St. Philips Cathedral. I know there are other older styles too, I've seen Art Deco and regular Vic. Gothic styles too, but the style I mentioned previously seems quite unique to the city. Personally, I'm very impressed with the new developments, i.e the new Bullring, Library and redeveloped New Street, all very good examples of contemporary architecture.

It's still far from a beautiful city however. Still got a pretty poor public realm, and the streets feel quite dirty and tired in places. Plus I'm sure we're all aware of the awful architecture thrown up in the 50s/60s/70s, that's still very prominent in the city centre. Not to mention its labyrinth of A roads/ Motorways! I'm glad that's changing however; personally I'll be glad to see the old concrete Central Library gone. Paradise circus looks like it'll be magnificent when it's finished. The two buildings from that era I can say I really do like however, are the Symphony Hall and Rep theatre. They have good proportion and styling, and seem to have aged well.


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## Bristol Mike (Aug 5, 2007)

fozzy said:


> The thread is for towns and small cities NOT big cities Birmingham is the second biggest city in the UK. "Good pics though"


Yes thanks for that, I did after all open the thread... I would like to take out the 'small' from the title so as to reflect general places across the country. 



MusicMan1 said:


> He does acknowledge that tbf.
> 
> I've been to central Birmingham, as I've visited my brother at Uni (plus been through New Street as we all have!)
> Birmingham to me, at least these days, is an interesting, if not quite unique place. The architectural styles of the city centre, seems quite unique to me. Most of the oldest buildings, in my eyes anyway, seem to be of something of a blend of Vic. Gothic and Baroque, such as the City Hall, and St. Philips Cathedral. I know there are other older styles too, I've seen Art Deco and regular Vic. Gothic styles too, but the style I mentioned previously seems quite unique to the city. Personally, I'm very impressed with the new developments, i.e the new Bullring, Library and redeveloped New Street, all very good examples of contemporary architecture.
> ...


I would tend to agree. Many people's impressions of Birmingham are based upon the sight one sees when driving by on the motorway or passing on the train but Birmingham is really full of architectural gems. Like you say, and for me, the downside is all the brutalist trash that sprouted up after the war (that generation really bore so awful architects and planners!)


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## paul62 (Jan 27, 2012)

Very good shots Of Birmingham, Mike. I hope there`s more.


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## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

Very good, very nice updates; well done once again :cheers:


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## Bristol Mike (Aug 5, 2007)

paul62 said:


> Very good shots Of Birmingham, Mike. I hope there`s more.


Thanks Paul! There are indeed more to come. 



christos-greece said:


> Very good, very nice updates; well done once again :cheers:


Thanks mate!


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## cardiff (Jul 26, 2005)

Great pics, lovely to see Birmingham as not many pictures exist of it on this site. It has some amazing islands of architecture that thread between brutalist developments which thankfully are being redeveloped into amazing unique buildings and spaces. From my first visit to my last I can see a definite desire and attempt to resolve the issues with the layout of post war development and improvement of the city center, and the newest developments look to resolve the most major of the city centers problems and could turn it into one of the best and attractive places to live and work.


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