OT What is the UKs biggest town

[bert]

Like being awarded the title of city.

[John Williamson]

Saint David's in Wales, for one. The smallest city in Britain.

[bert]

Unitary Authorities are not necessarily towns e.g. Borough of Cheshire East includes the towns of Crewe Nantwich Sandbach Macclesfield Knutsford Wilmslow etc etc.

[bert]

In message , fred writes

No that's Slough

[fred]

In article , bert writes

I'll see your Slough and raise you a creepy Crawley . . .

[Andrew Mawson]

Yet another example of slipping standards !!!!

AWEM

[Java Jive]

IIRC, Betjeman: "Come friendly bombs and drop on Slough",

But I would say: Happ>

[polygonum]

Fall.

And not only because it is September tomorrow.

[Frank Erskine]

[Frank Erskine]

A cathedral is the seat ("cathedra") of the bishop of the diocese. If a particular diocese has two or more cities clearly he can't have have two "seats" (that would be greedy) so the remaining cities normally have a minster instead.

[polygonum]

Exactly superimposed on York Minster?

"One of the world's most magnificent cathedrals, with foundations rooted in the nation's earliest history."

[PeterC]

Whereas Salisbury's are only 14'.

[Bod]

(3rd paragraph down)

[John Williamson]

AKA the 'Cathedral and Metropolitical Church of St Peter in York'.

[Bob Martin]

Didn't a university confer city status at one time?

[polygonum]

Not dissimilar to Winchester. Though now a lot is concrete placed by hand under the building.

[charles]

Unlikely. Cambridge (university 1284) didn't become a City until 1951!

[polygonum]

And let us not miss the fact that some places have ceased to be cities - Rochester.

And what constitutes a cathedral? Do (or, rather, did) RC cathedrals count? After all, many cities became so when the cathedrals were RC. Bear in mind that the Church in Wales is not an established church.

[PeterC]

ISTR that Northampton tried for city status on the grounds of having a university (FSVO).

[tony sayer]

I'd have thought that Ely was one of the smallest cities in the UK and it does have a very nice cathedral;)...