Top 10 most populated cities in the UK

Great Britain is a country with a rich past. Each city in this country has a unique history and character. For your convenience, we have compiled the top of the largest cities in the UK. Most of them are located in England. Scotland is represented in this list only twice, Wales once, and Northern Ireland is not present at all. We will tell you what interesting things you can see in each of these cities and what the inhabitants of these places are proud of.

1. Cardiff (Wales) — more than 300 thousand people

We start with the capital of Wales. Cardiff became the capital only in 1955. Before that, the Welsh simply did not have a capital, as this part of the country was almost always under the protectorate of the English.

However, Cardiff itself has existed since the late 11th century. Medieval tribes lived in these places even earlier. But as a city it was formed only after a stone fortress was built there, founded by the Normans. This castle has survived to this day. Although it has undergone some changes during its long history, it still gives a clear idea of the architecture and atmosphere of the time.

Cardiff is situated on the shores of the bay of the same name, so it is not surprising that its life is closely linked to the port. In the 19th century it was the base of a major coal exchange, and loaded barges travelled from here not only to all parts of the country, but also abroad. Nowadays, most of the docks are closed and have been converted into retail and public spaces.

In addition to the castle, visitors to Cardiff can also see the cathedral, which was built around the same time and is similar in architecture. The dock building, the town hall and the Norwegian church, built especially for sailors from this country, will also be of interest.

2. Bristol (England) — more than 400 thousand people

Bristol’s prosperity for many years was due to its favourable location at the crossroads of trade routes. In the XVIII century it was one of the three largest cities in Great Britain, but then it could not withstand the competition and gave up its position. This was largely due to the prohibition of the slave trade, as the port of Bristol was one of the intermediate centres for transporting slaves from Africa to North America. But no one forbade the import of cocoa and molasses, so at one time Bristol was famous as the chocolate capital of England.

In the modern world, cultural values have changed and now the city is known for other things. In particular, it is considered the birthplace of such a musical genre as trip-hop. It was here that the bands that pioneered this trend appeared: Massive Attack, Kosheen, Tricky, Portishead. In addition, street graphics is also respected here. After all, one of the brightest representatives of street art the artist Banksy was born here.

There’s plenty to see in Bristol for those who love antiquity. Although much of the city was destroyed in the Second World War, some architectural gems have survived, including the Theatre Royal, St Mary Radcliffe Church, Christmas Steps Lane and the impressive Clifton Suspension Bridge.

3. Liverpool (England) — more than 400 thousand people

If we take satellite cities, the population of the whole agglomeration is about 800 thousand people, which allows Liverpool to claim the third place in the list of the largest cities in the UK. But the official statistics still puts it only on the eighth place.

Naturally, the first association that arises when you hear the word Liverpool is The Beatles, helped by its positioning as the “Liverpool Four”. In addition to the official museum dedicated to the history of the group, you can also stroll around the Beatles’ places: visit the houses where the members of the group grew up, visit the “strawberry meadows”, and find a monument to John Lennon.

But it’s not just the legendary band that Liverpool can be proud of. It also has a port that played an important role in the country’s economic life. From 2004 to 2021, it was even inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. However, it was deprived of this status due to continuous modern development, which disrupts the ensemble and spoils the historical appearance of the area.

4. Edinburgh (Scotland) — over 500,000 people

The capital of Scotland, home to the Scottish Parliament and all the administrative offices of this part of the country. It is also the second most popular tourist city in the UK after London. The Edinburgh Festival, where the best in music, theatre, opera, dance and other arts showcase their skills, is especially popular during the Edinburgh Festival.

There is also the famous Royal Mile, located between Edinburgh Castle and Holyrood Palace. It is lined with ancient buildings and various landmarks. Curiously, the name refers to the Scottish mile, which is 200 metres longer than the English mile. Its total length is 1800 metres.

Edinburgh also honours its national drink, Scotch whisky. Pubs are everywhere, and there is even a themed museum in the city centre. But despite this, Edinburgh is considered a very safe place. There is a police museum here. It’s tiny, though. In it you can learn the stories of the most mysterious crimes and talk to modern constables.

5. Manchester (England) — more than 500 thousand people

Manchester is a fairly large city in the United Kingdom. Together with all the surrounding areas, it has more than 2 million inhabitants. This agglomeration is called “Greater Manchester”. But just over half a million people live in the city itself.

It is one of the centres of the industrial revolution with a well-developed heavy engineering industry. It produces machine tools, engines for ships and aeroplanes, electrochemical equipment and much more. Light industry is also not lagging behind. Manchester is one of the leaders in the production of textiles. There is even a fabric with this name.

But it’s wrong to think of Manchester as a working city. It can also rightly be called a city of students and scientists. It was the first place to split the atom, to create a computer capable of storing information in memory, and to discover the first law of thermodynamics. The University of Manchester has been the cradle of 25 Nobel Prize winners.

Of course, we cannot fail to mention the two strongest football clubs, Manchester United and Manchester City, based in this city.

6. Sheffield (England) — more than 500 thousand people

The city is known for its steel production. It was here that the crucible method of casting steel and cladding (plating) copper with silver were invented. It is true that after the mass closure of coal mines, iron and steel production in Sheffield fell into decline. However, the individual works are still in operation today, with a reputation for high quality production, able to cope with the most demanding tasks.

Sheffield also boasts the world’s first football club. It was founded here in 1857. Unfortunately, this club cannot boast of outstanding success.

The World Snooker Championship has been held here every year since 1977. The World Snooker Championship is held here every year in 1977. Initially this type of billiards was spread only in England, but then it became popular in other countries.

Sheffield is now a pleasant place with many parks and green spaces. Despite being one of the largest cities in the UK, it feels more like a rural retreat and even has the unofficial title of ‘England’s largest village’.

7. Glasgow (Scotland) — more than 600 thousand people

Although Glasgow is larger than Edinburgh, it is not the capital of Scotland. For this reason, it is not the capital of Scotland, but rather the centre of tourist attractions.

First and foremost is the architecture. One of the oldest buildings in the city is St Mungo’s Cathedral. It was erected back in the Middle Ages. Several buildings built in the XVI-XVIII centuries have also survived. But the main pearls were created in the XIX century.

Bridges are considered to be a distinctive feature of Glazko. There are more than two dozen of them: arched, cable-stayed, suspended, pedestrian and motorway.

The Kelvingrove Art Gallery will impress art lovers. Here you will find paintings by famous masters such as Rembrandt, Degas, Rubens, Dalí, Van Gogh and many others. But the list of exhibits is not exhausted by paintings. There are also sculptures, ancient weapons and even skeletons of ancient animals.

Those who crave entertainment will find it in the many pubs, bars and nightclubs. Glasgow has one of the most vibrant music scenes in the UK.

8. Leeds (England) — over 700,000 people

Like most major cities in the UK, Leeds dates back to the Middle Ages. In 1082, Kirkstall Abbey was founded on the site, which gave rise to the city. Its ruins are still well preserved and give an idea of what a Cistercian monastery looked like at the time.

The city reached its greatest prosperity during the Industrial Revolution and the coal boom. It was here that the first railway was created to carry coal. Later, the railway junction built in Leeds became one of the key transport links in England. The navigation of the River Aire also facilitated the active transport of goods. Over time, however, the iron and steel industry, as elsewhere in England, declined.

Leeds has preserved quite a few impressive pieces of architecture such as:

• The old town hall;
• Bread Exchange;
• Harewood Palace.

We also recommend visiting the Tropical World Greenhouse, the Tuckeray Medical Museum and the City Gallery in Leeds, where many works by the city-born sculptor Henry Moore are on display.

9. Birmingham (England) — over 1 million people

This city is a major industrial centre of England. Interestingly, a network of canals was created in Birmingham for the development of industry. They are even longer than in Venice and Amsterdam.

In Birmingham you can find the UK’s oldest comic book shop, which has been in existence since 1977. There you can not only buy a new issue of your favourite magazine, but also socialise with like-minded people.

Prepare for the fact that talking to the locals won’t be easy. Birmingham is characterised by a Brummie accent, sometimes incomprehensible even to the Brits themselves. However, some time ago it even came into fashion thanks to the popularity of the TV series “Sharpie”.

10. London (England) — over 8 million people

London is the largest city in the UK and the third largest city in Europe. It is the centre of the country’s financial and political life. It is also home to the royal palaces: Buckingham Palace, Kensington Palace and Windsor Palace. Although the latter is not in London itself, but 20 miles away from it, it invariably attracts visitors to the capital. All of these palaces can be visited on a guided tour.

Tourists are also attracted by the cultural life of the city. There are many attractions here:

• London National Gallery;
• Madame Tussauds Wax Museum;
• London Eye (Ferris wheel).