

Bristol vs Oxford
Not opinions, measured walking data. On what we can measure, Bristol leads 2–1 (1 within the tie margin). Character is a different question: Bristol is the merchant harbour; Oxford is the city of spires.
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Places with a story
spots where a route tells you what happened there
Bristol
42
Oxford
26
Bristol leads
How often you pass a story
metres from one story to the next; fewer is better
Bristol
347
Oxford
268
Oxford leads
Historical figures
real people you meet in its stories
Bristol
9
Oxford
9
Tie
Instagrammability
score /100, on the index’s fixed scale
Bristol
38
Oxford
—
Bristol leads
Group outings
of every 100 plays, how many bring a group of 3+
Bristol
19
Oxford
12
Bristol leads
International visitors
% of player reviews written in a foreign language
Bristol
2
Oxford
—
Bristol leads
| What we measure | Bristol | Oxford | Leads |
|---|---|---|---|
| Places with a storyspots where a route tells you what happened there | 42 | 26 | Bristol |
| How often you pass a storymetres from one story to the next; fewer is better | 347 | 268 | Oxford |
| Historical figuresreal people you meet in its stories | 9 | 9 | tie |
| Instagrammabilityscore /100, on the index’s fixed scale | 38 | — | Bristol |
| Group outingsof every 100 plays, how many bring a group of 3+ | 19 | 12 | Bristol |
| International visitors% of player reviews written in a foreign language | 2 | — | Bristol |
Differences under 5% count as ties. Sample sizes and definitions on the methodology page.
What their stories are about
How many places with a story each city has per theme: Bristol in orange, Oxford in blue. All bars share one scale, so lengths are comparable everywhere on the chart.
Bristol scorecard →
The merchant harbour
Oxford scorecard →
The city of spires