Yes, Wells in Somerset is still widely considered the smallest city in England by population and boundary area (approx. 10,000+ residents, 2.11 sq mi). While the City of London is technically smaller in both, it is generally excluded from this title due to its nature as a district within a massive metropolitan area.
The City of Wells - not only famous for being the smallest city! The City of Wells in Somerset is the perfect base for exploration of the Mendips and the Levels. There was a settlement here during Roman times (possibly because of the springs that bubble up here giving the city its name).
Wells—the smallest city in England—packs a world of history and charm. Its stunning architecture and cobbled streets create the perfect setting for a picturesque stroll.
Wells is a popular tourist destination, due to its historical sites, its proximity to Bath, Bristol, Stonehenge and Glastonbury and its closeness to the Somerset coast. Also nearby are Wookey Hole Caves, the Mendip Hills and the Somerset Levels. Somerset cheese, including Cheddar, is made locally.
The UK's smallest cities by population consistently feature St Davids (Wales) as the absolute smallest, followed by Welsh city St Asaph, then Wells (England), Ripon (England), and Truro (England), with other contenders including Lichfield, Brechin, Salisbury, and Chichester, though exact rankings shift slightly with new data, but St Davids remains the definitive smallest city in Britain by population.
England's Smallest City - WELLS - Has the Oldest Medieval Street in Britain!
What is Britain's smallest town?
Fordwich /ˈfɔːrdwɪtʃ/ is a market town and a civil parish in east Kent, England, on the River Stour, northeast of Canterbury. It is the smallest community by population in Britain with a town council.
There isn't one single "most run-down" town, as it depends on the metric, but recent reports frequently cite Walsall (West Midlands) as Britain's most deprived for overall quality of life (Good Growth for Cities Index 2025), while Jaywick (Essex) is repeatedly named England's most deprived neighbourhood by government data. Other towns often mentioned for significant decline due to economic hardship, unemployment, and urban decay include areas in Blackpool, Hastings, and Middlesbrough, alongside places like Portsmouth and Aldershot facing specific challenges.
Wells, Somerset, is famous as the primary filming location for Edgar Wright's comedy Hot Fuzz, transforming into the fictional village of Sandford, but it also hosted scenes for blockbusters like Dungeons & Dragons (2023) and The Huntsman: Winter's War, with its historic cathedral and Bishop's Palace frequently used for fantasy and period productions, including Wolf Hall and The Spanish Princess.
Set against the backdrop of the Mendip Hills (known locally as “the Mendips”) and surrounded by beautiful Somerset countryside, Wells offers good schools, shops, restaurants, and easy links to Bath and Bristol.
This name is of Anglo-Saxon descent spreading to the Celtic countries of Ireland, Scotland and Wales in early times and is found in many mediaeval manuscripts throughout these countries.
Vicars' Close was built over 650 years ago to house the Vicars' Choral and it continues to be inhabited by their successors today. Vicars' Close is unique, physically connected to Wells Cathedral and the oldest intact medieval street in Europe (1348) still used for its original purpose.
It shares its name with the Biblical paradise, whose sole human inhabitants were Adam and Eve. And it seems similar solitude can be found in Eden, Cumbria, the most sparsely populated local authority area of England and Wales.
Wells in Somerset is an ancient cathedral city in the picturesque district of Mendip, set in the heart of rural Somerset. It is known as England's smallest city – the 2011 census recorded a population of 10,536 (4,882 males & 5,654 females).
The Bradford District is the fifth biggest Metropolitan District in the country and the UK's youngest city, with more than 140,000 children aged under 18. Our district is alive with energy, enterprise and potential and is home to some of the finest cultural assets and landscapes in the country.
Rutland has an area of 382 km2 (147 sq mi) and had an estimated population of 41,443 in 2024, the second-smallest ceremonial county population after the City of London.
These rise up in the floor of an ornamental lake in the grounds of the Bishops Palace. One of these, the Scotland Spring supplies the water that feeds the conduit in the Market Place, from where water flows down the High Street in stone gutters made from the Jurassic Blue Lias Formation.
Minehead. Minehead offers the perfect destination for a family seaside holiday. It boasts a wonderful long flat sandy beach, a charming harbour, a bustling town with Independent shops and cafes and heritage attractions.
https://foreternia.com/2025/06/by-the-power-of- wells-cathedral-masters-of-the-universe-movie-is- filming-in-wells-somerset #MastersoftheUniverse #MOTU #MOTUMovie #Movies #England #NicholasGalitzine #IdrisElba #CamilaMendes. BY THE POWER OF WELLS CATHEDRAL! The “Masters of the Universe” Movie is currently filmin...
The beautiful city of Wells is named after three springs, or wells, which rise within the city. The iconic cathedral has brought people together for over 800 years and its famous clock is the oldest surviving original of its kind in the world!
While "gloomiest" is subjective, Bradford was frequently cited in 2023 studies by Betway as the UK's gloomiest city based on low sunshine, high wind, and rainfall, despite local defenses highlighting its cultural vitality. Other contenders often mentioned for dreary weather include Aberdeen, Blackpool, Glasgow, and Preston, though different metrics (sunshine vs. rain) yield varied results, with some recent surveys also pointing to places like Havering or Slough in terms of overall "miserable" living conditions.
There isn't one single "roughest" city, as rankings vary by data source and crime type, but Blackpool, Middlesbrough, Manchester, Bradford, and London boroughs like Westminster consistently appear high for overall crime or violent crime rates per capita in recent data (2024-2025), with issues like theft, assault, and antisocial behavior prevalent. Other cities frequently cited include Coventry, Liverpool, and Nottingham, often due to specific issues like knife crime or violent offenses.
