OTHER HONOURABLE MENTIONS

YORK After the Norman invasion, this idyllic riverside city became William the Conqueror’s base of operations in the north. He reconstructed old Viking buildings in stone and fortified city walls to make York a city of great economic importance. Much of its medieval architecture remains today and the city’s Shambles (above) is one of the most well-preserved streets from that era in Europe.

SALISBURY This small Wiltshire city was first founded on top of an Iron Age hill fort called Old Sarum, which had been inhabited by Romans, Saxons and Normans. But tensions between the church and army resulted in its relocation two miles south – thus New Sarum (or Salisbury as it’s known today) was built – laid out in a medieval grid system still in place. The Market Place has been holding regular exchanges since 1227.

DURHAM The winding city is home to one of the nation’s grandest Norman cathedrals, created after the coffin of the miracle-working Bishop of Lindisfarne (aka Saint Cuthbert) was buried on the site in 995AD. In the 11th century, the Normans invaded and, under the orders of William the Conqueror, built Durham’s turreted castle – now a World Heritage Site along with the cathedral (which doubled as Hogwarts in the Harry Potter films).

Which is your favourite historic city? With such an abundance of interesting locations to choose from, we’re aware this list is far from exhaustive. Email us at country.living@hearst.co.uk to let us know about any you think we’ve missed out.