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If you look at the main cities in the UK like London, Manchester, Edinburgh, & Glasgow and even Bristol and Liverpool, the cities themselves are not oriented towards the sea. For instance, while London is solidly oriented and a part of the River Thames, it almost feels like an interior city, even though it's a major port city. Same with Edinburgh, a major port but only recently have they developed apartments right on the North Sea.
The only exception seems to be Southern England. Brighton, Portsmouth, Plymouth, etc...
I don't think it's weather related, as other countries that are just as cold have their cities mainly sea oriented. For instance, Denmark, Sweden, the Netherlands, northern France (Le Havre, St. Malo, Dinard). Also warmer locales like southern France (Nice, Marseille, Monte Carlo), northern, eastern, and southern coast of Spain, Portugal, Greece, etc... Even in America we orient towards the coast (Boston, NYC, Miami, SF). We also have large interior cities but even many of those orient towards large bodies of water (Chicago, Detroit).
The British Navy has a proud heritage and England is a seafaring country. But besides fish and chips, it just doesn't seem like the UK has embraced their sea legs like other countries.
Thoughts? Were there reasons for this? I know the sea is rough especially in Scotland but that doesn't explain England though?
The climate in the British Isles does not owe towards locating on the coast. Generally, locating towards the coast would mean that dwellers would face high winds and stormy seas, the tiny width of Britain also means that water is never far away.
England also has a decent canal system/drainage which brings the water inland.
The climate in the British Isles does not owe towards locating on the coast, locating towards the coast would mean dwellers would be faced with high winds and stormy seas, the tiny width of Britain also means that water is never far away.
England also has a decent canal system/drainage which brings the water inland.
But why do similar cold (actually colder) regions like Sweden and Denmark locate their main cities right on the sea? Is it because the Baltic Sea is more protected? What about the Netherlands? They are located right on the North Sea and I know they've been pounded by relentless storms but all their main cities are directly on the coast. Although I guess you could say that they don't have much choice as they don't have a lot of land to begin with.
If you look at the main cities in the UK like London, Manchester, Edinburgh, & Glasgow and even Bristol and Liverpool, the cities themselves are not oriented towards the sea. For instance, while London is solidly oriented and a part of the River Thames, it almost feels like an interior city, even though it's a major port city. Same with Edinburgh, a major port but only recently have they developed apartments right on the North Sea.
The only exception seems to be Southern England. Brighton, Portsmouth, Plymouth, etc...
I don't think it's weather related, as other countries that are just as cold have their cities mainly sea oriented. For instance, Denmark, Sweden, the Netherlands, northern France (Le Havre, St. Malo, Dinard). Also warmer locales like southern France (Nice, Marseille, Monte Carlo), northern, eastern, and southern coast of Spain, Portugal, Greece, etc... Even in America we orient towards the coast (Boston, NYC, Miami, SF). We also have large interior cities but even many of those orient towards large bodies of water (Chicago, Detroit).
The British Navy has a proud heritage and England is a seafaring country. But besides fish and chips, it just doesn't seem like the UK has embraced their sea legs like other countries.
Thoughts? Were there reasons for this? I know the sea is rough especially in Scotland but that doesn't explain England though?
Edinburgh is oriented on the Firth of Forth and very close to the sea. Glasgow is on the River Clyde which enabled it to become a major shipbuilding hub and a major port. Manchester's location was chosen by the climate which was ideal for cotton. It was connected to the sea by the Manchester ship canal. Bristol is very close to the coast and Liverpool, Newcastle, Southampton, Portsmouth, Brighton, Cardiff, Swansea and Belfast are all on the coast.
In France, Lyon, Rennes, Dijon, Clermont Ferrand, Lille, Reims, Metz, Besancon, Mulhouse, Nancy and Paris are nowhere near the coast. Most German cities are nowhere near a coast. In the Netherlands, Breda, Eindhoven and Utrecht are not on the coast. Same in Belgium where only Ostend and Antwerp are on the coast while, in Spain, Seville, Cordoba, Madrid, Granada and Zaragoza are all inland.
Edinburgh is oriented on the Firth of Forth and very close to the sea. Glasgow is on the River Clyde which enabled it to become a major shipbuilding hub and a major port. Manchester's location was chosen by the climate which was ideal for cotton. It was connected to the sea by the Manchester ship canal. Bristol is very close to the coast and Liverpool, Newcastle, Southampton, Portsmouth, Brighton, Cardiff, Swansea and Belfast are all on the coast.
In France, Lyon, Rennes, Dijon, Clermont Ferrand, Lille, Reims, Metz, Besancon, Mulhouse, Nancy and Paris are nowhere near the coast. Most German cities are nowhere near a coast. In the Netherlands, Breda, Eindhoven and Utrecht are not on the coast. Same in Belgium where only Ostend and Antwerp are on the coast while, in Spain, Seville, Cordoba, Madrid, Granada and Zaragoza are all inland.
The difference is that Spain and France have vast interior lands while the UK is surrounded on all sides by the sea, yet the primary cities are not on the sea. Why did Glasgow have to be located so far up the River Clyde? Why couldn't it have been put right on the sea. Same for Edinburgh on the Firth of Forth. Why is London so far up the River Thames?
If you look at a similar country surrounded by water, say Denmark, the major cities are all on the water. Even Sweden and Finland have their major cities right on the coast, as does Norway.
Compare to a southern European country surrounded by water: Italy. Venice, Genoa, Naples, Palermo all on the water, Rome very close and Milan being an exception.
The difference is that Spain and France have vast interior lands while the UK is surrounded on all sides by the sea, yet the primary cities are not on the sea. Why did Glasgow have to be located so far up the River Clyde? Why couldn't it have been put right on the sea. Same for Edinburgh on the Firth of Forth. Why is London so far up the River Thames?
If you look at a similar country surrounded by water, say Denmark, the major cities are all on the water. Even Sweden and Finland have their major cities right on the coast, as does Norway.
Compare to a southern European country surrounded by water: Italy. Venice, Genoa, Naples, Palermo all on the water, Rome very close and Milan being an exception.
My question still stands.
Rome is an hours drive from the coast. Milan, Turin, Bologna, Vicenza, Verona, Parma and Florence are not on the coast.
As an island, Britain was prone to attacks and invasions from the sea in the past - Romans, Anglo-Saxons, Vikings, Danes, Normans, so it initially made more sense to build up a port on a river estuary, rather than directly on the coast (Dover excepted). The oldest towns and cities in England tend to be inland - Winchester, Canterbury, Lincoln, York.
Once Britain became a more unified kingdom, with a stronger navy, there was the confidence to develop major ports on the coasts.
Just my view, and there'll be plenty who think the above is a load of tosh. Accepted.
As an island, Britain was prone to attacks and invasions from the sea in the past - Romans, Anglo-Saxons, Vikings, Danes, Normans, so it initially made more sense to build up a port on a river estuary, rather than directly on the coast (Dover excepted). The oldest towns and cities in England tend to be inland - Winchester, Canterbury, Lincoln, York.
Once Britain became a more unified kingdom, with a stronger navy, there was the confidence to develop major ports on the coasts.
Just my view, and there'll be plenty who think the above is a load of tosh. Accepted.
Rome is an hours drive from the coast. Milan, Turin, Bologna, Vicenza, Verona, Parma and Florence are not on the coast.
Yeah Italy isn't probably the best example. However, look at northern France. The climate is similar to England and you have major ports like Le Havre, St. Malo, and Calais right on the coast. Southern France is even more extreme, you have the major cities like Marseille, Nice, and Monte Carlo right on the coast.
I do admit that southern England along the coast is very sea-oriented, however.
Yeah Italy isn't probably the best example. However, look at northern France. The climate is similar to England and you have major ports like Le Havre, St. Malo, and Calais right on the coast. Southern France is even more extreme, you have the major cities like Marseille, Nice, and Monte Carlo right on the coast.
I do admit that southern England along the coast is very sea-oriented, however.
In the case of the south of France (Cote d'Azur, east of the Rhone delta) that is probably because the interior is quite mountainous and those mountains are close to the sea. So there wasn't really enough room for large cities inland with the exception of Aix en Provence.
On the other side of the Rhone delta, however, Nimes, Montpellier, Beziers, Narbonne, Carcassonne, Perpignan and Toulouse are all inland and not right on the coast. The only large town on the coast is Sete.
In northern France, while you have the channel ports, Lille, Arras, Lens, Cambrai, Beauvais, Rouen and Amiens are all inland.
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