City Stories Index · United Kingdom · 2026 edition
Colchester vs Oxford
Not opinions, measured walking data. On what we can measure, Colchester leads 3–1. Character is a different question: Colchester is britain's first city; Oxford is the city of spires.
Change the matchup
| What we measure | Colchester | Oxford | Leads |
|---|---|---|---|
| Places with a storyspots where a route tells you what happened there | 54 | 26 | Colchester |
| How often you pass a storymetres from one story to the next; fewer is better | 312 | 268 | Oxford |
| Historical figuresreal people you meet in its stories | 11 | 9 | Colchester |
| Group outingsof every 100 plays, how many bring a group of 3+ | 24 | 12 | Colchester |
| International visitors% of player reviews written in a foreign language | 2 | — | Colchester |
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: Colchester in orange, Oxford in blue. All bars share one scale, so lengths are comparable everywhere on the chart.
ColchesterOxford
15 places
fortification & siege2 places
12 places
faith & churches9 places
10 places
royalty & nobility7 places
8 places
arts & culture7 places
1 place
legends & myths4 places
Colchester scorecard →
Britain's first city
Oxford scorecard →
The city of spires