Visit Leicester

Georgian spa city with Roman baths.

Honey-coloured college quads, the Bodleian Library and the dining hall that inspired Hogwarts, all walkable in an afternoon.

Punt along the Backs past King’s College Chapel and the Bridge of Sighs, then drink in the pub where DNA was announced.

Walk the medieval city walls, the Shambles’ overhanging shops and York Minster, the largest Gothic cathedral in northern Europe.

Shakespeare's birthplace, his grave in Holy Trinity, and the Royal Shakespeare Company on the riverbank.

Alfred the Great's capital: the longest Gothic nave in Europe and the Round Table hanging in the Great Hall.

Visit Liverpool, a historic port city in northwest England. Explore the Royal Albert Dock (UNESCO World Heritage site with museums and waterfront dining), see The Beatles Story exhibition (dedicated to the iconic band's history and memorabilia), tour Anfield Stadium (home of Liverpool FC with its famous Kop stand), and admire the two cathedrals (Liverpool Cathedral, the largest in the UK, and the modernist Metropolitan Cathedral).

Visit Manchester, a city in northwest England with industrial heritage and modern culture. Explore the Science and Industry Museum (housed in the world's oldest passenger railway station), see a match at Old Trafford (home of Manchester United Football Club), wander the Northern Quarter (known for its street art and independent shops), and visit the John Rylands Library (a neo-Gothic building with rare manuscripts).