page_title: List of city nicknames in the United Kingdom
section_title: C
hierarchical_section_title: List of city nicknames in the United Kingdom / C
caption_attribution_description: English: Holy Trinity parish church (left) and the tower and spire of St Michael's Cathedral (right) in central Coventry, England
context_page_description: This partial list of city nicknames in the United Kingdom compiles the aliases, sobriquets and slogans that cities in the United Kingdom are known by, officially and unofficially, to locals, outsiders or their tourism boards or chambers of commerce. City nicknames can help in establishing a civic identity, helping outsiders recognize a community or attracting people to a community because of its nickname; promote civic pride; and build community unity.
  Nicknames and slogans that successfully create a new community "ideology or myth" are also believed to have economic value. Their economic value is difficult to measure, but there are anecdotal reports of cities that have achieved substantial economic benefits by "branding" themselves by adopting new slogans.
  Some unofficial nicknames are positive, while others are derisive. The unofficial nicknames listed here have been in use for a long time or have gained wide currency.
context_section_description: Cambridge
  "City of perspiring dreams" – by contrast with Oxford's nickname, "the city of dreaming spires". Coined by author and screenwriter Frederic Raphael in The Glittering Prizes. "Perspiring Dreams" was later the title of the Cambridge University Students' Union alternative prospectus.
  "Silicon Fen" – often applied to Cambridge and the immediately surrounding region, because of the large number of High tech businesses in the area. The name alludes to similarities to Silicon Valley in California, and the city's location close to The Fens. In contrast to Scotland's Silicon Glen which relates to manufacturing.
  Cardiff
  "City of Arcades" – city has the highest concentration of Victorian, Edwardian and contemporary indoor shopping arcades in any British city – see List of shopping arcades in Cardiff.
  “The Diff” (uses last four letters of the name Cardiff).
  Castleford
  "Cas Vegas" – ironic allusion to wealth; see neighbouring Pontefract's entry.
  Chichester
  "Chi" – shortened version of Chichester, pronounced 'Chy'.
  Coventry
  "Britains Detroit" – arising from its one-time status as the centre of UK car manufacturing; an appellation dating back to at least 1916.
  "City of Peace and Reconciliation" – branding adopted from 2008 onwards, as part of the City of Sanctuary movement.
  "City of three spires" – referring to the cathedral spire; Holy Trinity Church; and Christ Church's spire.
  "Motor City" – as with "Britain's Detroit", an allusion to the city's motorcar industry.
  Crawley
  "Creepy Crawley"
  Cumbernauld
  "What's it called? Cumbernauld" – used repeatedly in a TV advert
caption: Two of the three spires of Coventry: Holy Trinity Church to the left, and the remains of the 14th Century St. Michael's Cathedral to the right.
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