Britain's Prettiest Streets

[Etienne]

According to Google Street View awards
1 York: The Shambles
2 Bath: Royal Crescent
3 Newcastle: Grey Street
4 Oxford: New College Lane
5 Aberaeron: Pen Cei

Pictures here.

Thoughts?

I don't know most of these streets, but in the loveliness of Bath I find Royal Crescent rather underwhelming. I think the contrast between the buildings and the park doesn't really work.

[Spearmint Rhino]

Britain's Prettiest Streets

Grey Street must be there as some kind of joke. It's a reasonable enough example of Georgian civic architecture I suppose, but nothing outstanding, and the reality of the Grey Street experience usually involves marauding beer monsters and rivers of vomit.

[wingco]

Britain's Prettiest Streets

In the Oxford one, that is the Bridge Of Sighs, which links the old and new quads of Hertford College. That was my home for three years. In my first year, I got drunk and tried to take the staircase of that bridge in two bounds - ill-advised, over 20 slippy steps. On the first one I twisted my ankle and on landing I broke my hand. I was so drunk the pain didn't kick in for about four hours. Woke up in agony and had to go to the A&E at John Radcliffe. Arm in plaster over Christmas.

[Etienne]

Britain's Prettiest Streets

Yeah, it didn't look remarkable in the photo. Not sure how the awards were done but if it was a public vote I can imagine some kind of facebook city pride campaign to vote for it.

Any that should have been on the list and aren't?

[Purves Grundy]

Britain's Prettiest Streets

wingco wrote:

In the Oxford one, that is the Bridge Of Sighs, which links the old and new quads of Hertford College. That was my home for three years. In my first year, I got drunk and tried to take the staircase of that bridge in two bounds - ill-advised, over 20 slippy steps. On the first one I twisted my ankle and on landing I broke my hand. I was so drunk the pain didn't kick in for about four hours. Woke up in agony and had to go to the A&E at John Radcliffe. Arm in plaster over Christmas.

"any who have heard that sound will shrink at the recollection of it; it is the sound of English county families baying for broken glass"



Which one's you, wingco?

[Wyatt Earp]

Britain's Prettiest Streets

Funnily enough, SR, I was going to say good on them for including a proper city street from a non-chocolate-boxy part of the country.

[evilC]

Britain's Prettiest Streets

Ah, excellent - a potentially quite pleasant thread! (I have a horrible cold and can't be bothered with debate and/or conflict today.)

Lanadwell Street, Padstow:

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Not a brilliant photo, but the best I could find at short notice. Could do without the van, I think.

[Ginger Yellow]

Britain's Prettiest Streets

I'm fond of New College Lane, but mainly because it leads to a) the Turf, and b) the Queen's Lane cafe. The whole Bridge of Sighs thing is a tad too derivative to really give much aesthetic pleasure.

[wingco]

Britain's Prettiest Streets

Careful, evilC, I shall see to it that you will be blackballed by every decent club in London if you insist on posting up pictures of me and my chums. (And that includes the Richard H Kirk Appreciation Society, Westminster chapter)

[wingco]

Britain's Prettiest Streets

The opening scenes of Heaven's Gate feature New College Lane. Don't they claim it's Harvard, or something?

[Wyatt Earp]

Britain's Prettiest Streets



Can we have King's Parade, or does the colleges-on-one-side, shops-on-the-other arrangement make it lopsided?

[Etienne]

Britain's Prettiest Streets

Your friends in the Padstow White Van Man club, wingco?

[evilC]

Britain's Prettiest Streets

wingco wrote:

Careful, evilC, I shall see to it that you will be blackballed by every decent club in London if you insist on posting up pictures of me and my chums. (And that includes the Richard H Kirk Appreciation Society, Westminster chapter)

Might wanna check the poster there, Wingco.

(You would be the one in the shades, yes?)

[Mitch]

Britain's Prettiest Streets

Eastgate, Chester:



Although it's never that quiet in reality.

[wingco]

Britain's Prettiest Streets

Oops! Sorry, evilC, Purves. Mislaid my black glasses, can't read or see a thing without them.

[steveeeeeeeee]

Britain's Prettiest Streets

Being completely subjective, I always love Royal Hill in Greenwich, great pubs, shops and architecture.



In Lisbon, I love Rua Academia das Cięncas, which I walk through most days to get to work, in this part it's the lovely arches, but then the street suddenly widens and it reminds me of Notting Hill. Plus there's a dance academy there with loads of hot girls sitting outside smoking. Then a bit further on there's a cafe where old guys play dominoes in the street drinking cheap wine. Great street.

[Spearmint Rhino]

Britain's Prettiest Streets

Why on Earth... wrote:

Funnily enough, SR, I was going to say good on them for including a proper city street from a non-chocolate-boxy part of the country.

They should have picked the one that was the red light district in Victorian times. You know the one.

[Banana Banana]

Britain's Prettiest Streets

I would have put Merton Lane ahead of New College Lane in Oxford.

[Etienne]

Britain's Prettiest Streets



Fish Street, Shrewsbury. Yes it's chocolate-boxy, but it's lovely.

[evilC]

Britain's Prettiest Streets

Quay Street, Lymington - in two halves:

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(It has a right-angle bend in the middle of it.)

[Ginger Yellow]

Britain's Prettiest Streets

I would have put Merton Lane ahead of New College Lane in Oxford

I was thinking about mentioning Merton Street, but I might have been accused of favouritism. Plus a chunk of it was a building site when I lived there.

[Guest]

Britain's Prettiest Streets

Can we have King's Parade

Yes, because I used to live on it, and therefore it is important and lovely. And everyone else seems to have lived on one of the nominees.

edit: evidently I take favouritism to a new level.

[meregreen]

Britain's Prettiest Streets

York has loads of these quaint little streets. The problem is that you can't really appreciate them because they're packed with tourists.

You can walk down Stonegate


Which leads on to Petergate (home of the best chippy in the country bar none)


Carry on through Kings Square

And then you’re on to the Shambles

[evilC]

Britain's Prettiest Streets

I unapologetically say give me chocolate-box-y every time. I just like stuff that is easy on the eye and mind and I find chocolate-box-y views fulfil those criteria for me.

I seem to remember Beverley had a few pretty streets, but I'm buggered if I can remember their names right now. Same with Hull's 'old quarter' over near Ye Old Black Boy pub.

Conversely, places which you'd think have lots of pretty streets, but which I'm struggling to think of any *really* good ones include the two towns I'm most familiar with - Farnham and Guildford - plus Whitby, which I found a little disappointing, I have to say. Bath is lovely, but I have to say I found the Royal Crescent to be a little bit sterile-feeling when I stumbled upon it.

[evilC]

Britain's Prettiest Streets

Oh, and York seems to win!