Oxford named among The Telegraph's best cities in Britain

The Telegraph published the results of its scientific ranking of the best and worst cities in the UK this week - handing Bath in Somerset the title for best all-rounder and ranking Carlisle in Cumbria as the worst of the bunch.

The research was conducted in December 2023 using a range of data sets across the four categories of hospitality and amenities, culture and heritage sites, transport and nature as well as green spaces.

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Oxford was ranked the fourth-best city in Britain, out of 69 total competitors.

Destination expert at the Telegraph, Chris Moss said: "A list of Oxford’s big-hitting architectural landmarks and cultural treasures quickly becomes a paragraph.

"Visitors vicariously experience a fresher-like buzz when wandering round the likes of Balliol, Magdalen, Merton and Trinity colleges, the Bodleian Library, Radcliffe Camera, Ashmolean – Britain’s oldest public museum – and the Pitt Rivers Museum.

"History has a conspicuous presence.

Oxford's Bodleian Library "Rather than be overwhelmed by the dreaming spires, it pays to get up there with them – a climb to the tower of the University Church of St Mary the Virgin affords a panoramic view of the city and will help newbies get their bearings."

It was handed a total score of 228 points, putting it just behind popular city break spots Bristol, Wells and Bath.

Bath, the UK's only city designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, came out top on the list with a score of 248, with points fairly equally disseminated across the four categories.

Meanwhile, Wakefield in West Yorkshire and Carlisle brought up the rear with 62 and 43 total points respectively.