Gloucester is one of the top places in the country when it comes to English heritage.

The city came in at number 13 in the Royal Society for Arts’ annual Heritage Index, beating the likes of Tewkesbury, Cheltenham and even parts of London.

The Index is based both on the amount of heritage sites an area can boast, and the way in which they are utilised to create a distinct local identity.

Gloucester scored well on both counts, doing well in particular for the number of historic buildings in the area.

In total, there are 35 Grade I listed buildings, 49 Grade II* listed buildings and 379 Grade II listed buildings in the city.

Gloucester also did well in terms of museums, archives and artifacts activities, hosting 16 Heritage Open Days in 2016 and making the most of generous Heritage Lottery Fund and Arts Council England funding.

Commenting on the 2016 Heritage Index, Matthew Taylor, RSA Chief Executive, said: ““At its best, a proper understanding of heritage – which goes beyond protecting history – fuels passion, pride and a unique place identity.

“This year’s RSA Heritage Index shows how some localities have grasped the opportunity heritage provides.”

Data table:

Top 15 heritage hotspots in England

1 / City of London

2 / Kensington and Chelsea

3 / Westminster

4 / Scarborough

5 / West Somerset

6 / South Lakeland

7 / Gosport

8 / Oxford

9 / Norwich

10 / Weymouth and Portland

11 / Hastings

12 / Cambridge

13 / Gloucester

14 / Purbeck

15 / Copeland

Jason Smith, CEO Marketing Gloucester commented “This is a wonderful independent recognition of the rich heritage of the city and all the hard work that goes into promoting and protecting that heritage by the Civic Trust and other organisations in the city. A record 4million people a year are now visiting the city, many of them specifically because of Gloucester’s heritage.  It is important that we recognise the significant impact this has on supporting 4100 jobs in the city and continue to promote our fantastic assets.   According to the Royal Society for Arts’ annual Heritage Index Gloucester can truly be classed as a “premier league” city for Heritage vying with Cambridge and Hastings, and it’s easy to understand why when one looks at attractions such as the Cathedral, Historic Docks, St Mary de Crypy and Lllanthony Priory and so-on”