5 Best UK Small Towns

1) Beverley, East Yorkshire

Beverley Minster is renowned for the grace of its Gothic style. It contains elements of three styles: Early English, Decorated and Perpendicular. On the site where Beverley Minster stands prayers have been offered to God for 1300 years; many who visit the church today experience a sense of quiet and spiritual peace within its walls. Visitors to East Yorkshire are surprised to find in the relatively unknown town of Beverley one of the finest Gothic churches in Europe.

When approached across parkland from the west, Beverley pulls off this neat trick of making you think you’re in a Jane Austen novel, and then come the cobbled streets, the gracious Georgian residences, the top-notch church in the middle that has yet to be converted into a pub or a nightclub.

Are we in the 21st century? No, of course not. Mind you, the good old days have their drawbacks. Once, searching for food at midday, I came across a fish and chip shop with a “Closed for lunch” sign on the door. Fortunately, not all establishments are so old-fashioned. Saturday sees a good market and there are some tremendous festivals: the folk music and literature festivals are consistently worth attending. But it’s the town’s gentle Georgian ambience that delights: break out the walking canes and crinoline, and stroll. Even Austen’s Lady Catherine de Bourgh would be impressed.

Beverley Art Gallery is located in the heart of the town. It is a fine example of a purpose built Edwardian Art Gallery and the only arts heritage facility of its kind in East Yorkshire. Holding the largest collection of works by celebrated local artist, Frederick Elwell and running a temporary exhibition and education programme, along with themed exhibitions from the permanent collection.

2) Kirkby Lonsdale, Cumbria

Kirkby Lonsdale is a famously picturesque Cumbrian town, renowned for its photogenic charm, but its most enchanting aspect is possibly the one glimpsed from the foot of Collier’s Lane in High Casterton. This elevated vantage point to the east of the River Lune offers a tantalising vista of the town as it must have appeared to travellers for centuries: an enchanting network of mellow stone edifices separated by narrow cobbled lanes and framed by a pastoral landscape of rare beauty.

For many years Kirkby Lonsdale was a town that visitors could not quite place: it was in Cumbria but not the Lake District, it looked like Yorkshire but was not the Dales. Now, with recent additions to both of those national parks, the town finds itself in the centre of a massive swathe of protected land that stretches right across the north. This new-found status is well-deserved. It’s a pretty stone-built place on the River Lune with some excellent walks – stroll over to Ruskin’s view, for example, or take a day to explore up Barbondale. It also makes a great base for cycling and touring, with the 

Three Peaks, Dentdale and Ingleton within easy reach.

Today, Kirkby Lonsdale retains much of its age-old appeal – with a 21st-century twist. The splendid historic buildings – many dating back hundreds of years - that line the Kirkby Lonsdale quaint streets and squares now accommodate an impressive range of independent shops, cafes, pubs, hotels and restaurants, together offering a unique experience that’s increasingly difficult to find on the modern high street.

3) Pickering, North Yorkshire

From the historic attractions, to the shops, museums, restaurants, pubs and cafes, there really is something for everyone in Pickering. 

A great base for exploring North Yorkshire, the Yorkshire Coast, Dalby Forest and the stunning North York Moors, it’s also a fantastic destination in its own right, packed with fun things to do for the whole family. 

Local legend says that the town was founded and named in around 270 BC by King Peredurus. One day, the King lost his ring, and accused a young woman of stealing it. However, later that day, the same ring was found inside a pike that was caught for his dinner in Costa Beck. The town got the name “Pike-ring” – an image of which is featured in the town’s coat of arms to this day. 

They even have a Second World War weekend, an event that allows parents to dress in period costume and wave their children off as evacuees. What’s not to like?

4) Aberystwyth, west Wales

Home to the University of Wales Aberystwyth and the National Library.

The town is nestled between three hills and two beaches, and hosts some castle ruins, a pier and a harbour. The surrounding hills hold the visible remains of a iron age fort and also a monument to Wellington and once climbed offer stunning views of Cardigan Bay.

Aberystwyth is a University town with some seven thousand students, ensuring it a vibrant throughout the year and not just during summertime. Incidentally, there are now ‘only’ fifty pubs left in Aberystwyth!

Long before the Normans began their castle-building program, Iron Age settlers used the hilltop called Pen Dinas to build a huge fortification, which still dominates the skyline as you approach Aberystwyth from the south and reminds us of the skills of its ancient builders.

The first Norman castle was a ring work affair castle, built in the early 12th Century. Inevitably, the earth and timber defences proved too vulnerable and a new site was chosen for a castle in Aberystwyth itself. This time it was the Welsh, led by Llewellyn the Great who built the castle and it changed hands several times before finally became useless against new weapons. The last castle built at Aberystwyth once ranked among the greatest in Wales but today, lies entirely ruined and offering only a faint image of its once impressive past. 

5) Pitlochry, Perthshire

Pitlochry is one of Scotland's most beautiful and vibrant places to visit.

In the heart of Scotland with real hospitality, clear sparkling air, beautiful scenery, rich clan history, fine food, plenty of space and lots to see and do. Pitlochry is primarily a holiday destination, which caters for the holiday maker year round in its own special way.

This far north you’ll need to wrap up warm in winter when exploring Allean Forest, with views of Loch Tummel – one of the most famous views in Scotland – as well as Faskally Woods and the Pass of Killiecrankie, a riverside walk through a steep gorge, which, during winter, offers an atmosphere of silence and solitude, with the snow dotted with deer, squirrel and otter tracks.