Cities

[monkeypunto]

What make's a city a city? I have been told its not because they have a cathedral for example Milton Keynes is a city but no cathedral. Is it just coz queenie decide's one day?!?! help!

[mgba_78]

Although people say Milton Keynes is a city, it is actually legally just a town.

I think from what i remember was it last year it failed to make city status.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_status_in_the_United_Kingdom

This is quite useful

Hope this helps

[gary baldy]

woah - steady on there monkeyboy!
MK does have a cathedral - buts its made of trees!
Confused - you will be!

http://www.mkweb.co.uk/parks/DisplayArticle.asp?ID=27457

[bernardo]

A city is a city if it has a royal charter to make it one.

[Buenchico]

Bernardo wrote: "A city is a city if it has a royal charter to make it one".

To be exact, the following should be added to the end of his (otherwise accurate) statement:

" . . . and if it continues to appoint trusteees in respect of that charter". i.e. it's possible for a city to revert to a town if it doesn't meet its obligations under the charter. Unlikely? Possibly, but it happened to Rochester!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/england/1991827.stm

Chris

[Stu in USA]

The general rule is that a city must have a cathedral, ie even small settlements such as Wells, Ely and St. Davids are cities. There are exceptions, even more since the Queen designated some large towns as cities. Some older exceptions I seem to remember - Cambridge has no cathedral, but is a city, vaguely recall that Blackburn? has a cathedral, but was not a city. Please correct me if wrong!!

[colenso]

Stu in usa ....you'r wrong!! Bernardo as modified by Buenchico have it right. A town becomes a city by Royal Charter...my home town, Stoke on Trent, doesn't have a cathedral but does have a Charter...Cathedrals really don't have anything to do with it these days...

[Stu in USA]

I said it was a general rule. Stoke was just another exception. Otherwise how do you explain St. Davids and Wells being cities? There are bigger villages!!!