St Albans named UK's chicest city

St Albans is the chicest city in the UK according to a new style index. 

Interior design company, Dowsing & Reynolds, ranked a range of cities on chicness (boutique hotels), cultural infrastructure (listed buildings and museums), interest in style (online searches related to interior design) and future potential (number of and quality of interior design courses).

The Cathedral city came top in the chic stakes in the new index, picking up full marks. 

Dowling & Reynolds mused on its website: "As well as having Roman roots, St Albans is home to some of the highest-rated boutique hotels in the UK.

"St Michael’s Manor offers one of a kind accommodation in a grand setting near the Abbey, while Torrington Hall is a chic gem, nestled inside a 19th century mansion right in the centre of town."

Bath came a chic second, followed by Wakefield, West Yorkshire.

Bath also came top for cultural infrastructure, while the 'interest in style' prize went to Salford and London ranked highest for future potential. 

When it came to an overall ranking based on all four categories combined, Bath was victorious. 

Xander Shreenan, interior designer at Dowsing & Reynolds, said: "Our intrigue around interior design sky-rocketed during the UK’s multiple lockdowns [and] interest has remained strong in these stunning cities."