The Cosiest Cities in the UK this Autumn

New research from Betway reveals the UK’s top ten cosiest cities – perfect for planning a getaway this autumn.

Autumn in the UK is often characterised as damp, dreary and a little bit dull – a no man’s land between the clear skies of summer and the magic of the festive season.

While there’s no arguing with that weather forecast, cold and rain don’t have to mark the end of your social life. With a slight change of perspective, inclement weather can be reframed as a romantic backdrop. After all, who doesn’t enjoy spending a late afternoon in a warm cafe sipping a hot chocolate, with steam fogging up the windows as you watch the rain hammering the pavement outside?

With that in mind, online casino Betway has compiled a list of the UK’s top ten cities according to their ‘cosiness factor’, based on the number of independent bookshops, cafes, nature areas and museums per 10,000 people, along with the average autumn rainfall in the region.

Here are a few of the biggest talking points from the data:

• Chichester claimed top spot thanks to its six independent bookshops and an incredible 67 coffee shops – not bad for a city of just over 30,000 people!

• Second spot went to Brighton, which has 56 museums, 23 parks and the highest autumn rainfall of the cities investigated (308mm)

• The smallest location in the investigation, Wells, came third. The locals have access to eight parks – almost twice as many as nearby Salisbury.

The Top 10 Cosiest Cities in the UK

Rank	City	Independent bookshops	Total autumn rainfall (mm)	Cafes	Parks / nature areas	Museums	Cosiness score
1	Chichester	6	225	67	15	15	8.12
2	Brighton	12	308	267	23	56	6.78
3	Wells	1	220	22	8	3	6.75
4	Bath	7	213	154	30	46	6.04
5	Inverness	2	254	71	20	18	6.01
6	Canterbury	7	197	90	29	7	5.52
7	Ely	1	174	27	4	9	4.84
8	Chester	5	227	127	24	19	4.58
9	York	3	188	246	42	51	4.49
10	Winchester	4	216	41	16	8	4.36

*All metrics except autumn rainfall have been indexed based on the number of places per 10,000 people. The table includes the raw number of places.

1. Chichester

The only city in West Sussex is famous for its rich array of culture, and never looks more beautiful than in autumn – no wonder it claims the number one spot.

Come September every year, Priory Park is awash with a vibrant mix of browns, oranges, reds and yellows as the trees begin to shed their leaves, while the sprawling South Downs National Park provides some incredible vistas if you’re planning a longer walk.

Whether you’ve been for a hike in the hills or a relaxed stroll through the city centre, there’s no better feeling than setting yourself down in one of the 67 cafes with a warm autumnal drink, or exploring one of the six charming independent bookshops on offer.

2. Brighton

Though more famous for its buzzing nightlife and creative arts, Brighton also has a rugged, windswept vibe that really comes to the fore during the rainy autumn months, earning it second spot in Betway’s list.

The city’s famous lanes are home to a stream of independent bookshops and cafes, but the real standout is the sheer amount of rainfall the area gets. With 308mm of rain during autumn, Brighton came out top of all the cities studied. Some may question how this translates to a good score rather than a bad one but, nothing beats the sound of rainfall as you cosy up with a book or watch the world go by from a cosy cafe window.

In fact, Brighton has the highest number of cafes in the top 10 (267) which translates to 19 per 10,000 residents. With a warming drink in hand, explore one of the city’s 23 nature spots, perhaps a gentle stroll through Preston Park, where the leaves will be turning gold, or a brisk walk along the breezy beachfront.

3. Wells

At first glance, you’d think Wells was the classic British market town. In fact, because the region has its own cathedral, it is classed as a city. And not just any city – despite its tiny population of just 11,000, it is officially the smallest city in England.

Given that context, Wells has something of a head start in the cosiness stakes. The city belies its small stature to sit third in the rankings, helped in no small part by the eight nature areas and parks dotted around the city, which translates to seven per 10,000 residents. For context, neighbouring city Salisbury has a population four times larger than Wells, but has only five nature areas and parks.

From the Bishop’s Palace to its cobbled roads and stunning medieval architecture, Wells feels like a scene straight out of a postcard – a place that unquestionably deserves a spot in the top three.

4. Bath

Perhaps the most famous spa town in the world, Bath ranked six on the list, but first for museums with 46 spread across the city (4.85 per 10,000 residents, the highest in the ranking), including the eponymous Roman Baths.

It also scored highly for cafes – after a day taking in the sights and sounds of Bath, you can retire to any one of 154 lining the streets of the city. From artisan coffee houses to charming old-style tea rooms, there’s something for everyone – so why not wrap up warm, enjoy the stunning autumn leaves of Royal Victoria Park and then stop somewhere for a warming drink to finish the day off.

5. Inverness

The highest Scottish city in our list is Inverness, in fifth spot. The UK’s northernmost city scored strongly thanks to its 18 museums, including the hugely popular Highlander’s Museum located inside the working army barracks of Fort George, and the Inverness Museum and Art Gallery which details the history of the area and Highland life through the ages.

Despite its fairly small size, the city has two cosy independent bookstores and 71 cafes (15.15 per 10,000 residents), making it an ideal location for those who like to browse for their next read with a warm drink in hand.

6. Canterbury

Autumn lends an extra dash of romance to the delightful cobblestone streets of Canterbury, creating a quintessentially British scene straight out of a Richard Curtis movie that pushes it into sixth place on the list.

With seven independent book stores and 90 cafes across Canterbury there’s plenty of opportunity to hide yourself away when the autumn showers hit – although that’s a relatively rare occurrence. The city has only 195mm of autumn rainfall, one of the lowest on our list.

7. Ely

Eighth-placed Ely is one of the smallest cities researched with a population of barely 19,000, but holds its own against its more celebrated rivals. The Cambridgeshire city boasts nine museums, or 4.71 for every 10,000 people – beaten only by Bath (4.85) and Chichester (4.74).

A world away from the hustle and bustle of bigger cities, Ely is a wonderful place to visit during the autumn months. The nearby Fens are awash with colour during September and October and provide endless options for short walks or longer hikes, while Jubilee Gardens provides a lovely view of the Ouse river, glimmering in the autumn sunshine.

8. Chester

Chester was ranked as the UK’s eighth cosiest city, with an impressive 127 cafés tucked away along cobbled streets and under the city’s famous black-and-white Tudor-style Rows, it’s a place where the smell of fresh coffee and pastries is never far away.

There’s also a respectable five independent bookshops to visit within the city, as well as 19 museums, from intimate art spaces to local heritage collections that bring Chester’s Roman roots and medieval past to life.

9. York

Coming in ninth is York, bumping its cosiness rating up by way of 246 cafes, which include many independent offerings, and 51 museums showcasing its impressive history. For example, the York Castle Museum allows you to act out your own romantic view of the city’s history with its Kirkgate exhibition – a fully-realised Victorian street, recreated inside the museum.

If you’d prefer the real thing, York’s streets are covered in luscious brown and orange leaves during autumn. A walk through the centre, including a stroll down the infamous medieval Shambles street, with leaves crunching underfoot can’t help but leave you feeling warm inside.

10. Winchester

Nestled in the heart of Hampshire, Winchester rounds off the top 10. With four independent bookshops, the city offers inviting spots for readers to curl up with a new find, while its 41 cafés provide plenty of welcoming corners for a warming coffee on a crisp autumn day.

History seeps through the cosy city of Winchester, with eight museums capturing everything from ancient legends to local curiosities, ideal for those who’d prefer to stay dry in the face of the city’s 216mm of autumn rainfall.

So there you have it, the top ten cosiest cities in the UK this autumn. Whatever cosiness means to you – a tour of a local museum, finding a quiet spot to read a book or relaxing with an indulgent treat in a warm and inviting coffee shop – there’s something for everyone in Betway’s list.

Sources and methodology

To establish the UK’s cosiest cities, we created a seedlist of cities in the UK from articles referencing ‘beautiful’ or ‘cosy’ locations, then ranked them according to the following metrics: 

All metrics apart from autumn rainfall were calculated as the number of locations per 10,000 residents. Raw numbers have been included in the copy.