Why does a city need a cathedral?

I think so – but that we need a more discerning definition of the title (and, for that matter, subtitles such as "eco-city", "smart city" and the like). read more

So there’s something to do with a church’s hierarchy when it comes to a cathedral. Sort of like a regional headquarters of a big corporation. And, cities - that, is, city governments - want the prestige of a cathedral as well. It’s an indicator of livability for people of that faith living in that city. read more

There are now 69 official UK cities (there would be 70 but Rochester, a cathedral city since 1211, became a town in 1998 after it neglected to confirm its status following local government reorganisation). read more

Newry is the only city in Northern Ireland that does not have a Church of Ireland cathedral within its borders. Claimants A number of towns describe themselves as cities (at least in some contexts), despite not having the requisite Charter. read more

The royal burghs of Edinburgh and Perth anciently used the title civitas, but the term city does not seem to have been used before the 15th century. Unlike the situation in England, in Scotland there was no link between the presence of a cathedral and the title of city. read more