Besides of being incredibly picturesque and beautiful, these medieval cobbled streets are the “road” to England’s history. From the Roman age to the Tudor times, these streets below have been named the most significant and historically important in the country.
6.Gold Hill – Shaftesbury
The steep cobbled street can be found in Shaftesbury in the English county of Dorset, and is known as one of the most picturesque places in the country. It is often described as “one of the most romantic sights in England.”
The image of the fairy tale-like lane can be often found on the covers of books as well as on countless calendars and chocolate boxes. The steep street was also featured in a TV ad promoting Hovis bread.
5. Steep Hill – Lincoln
Dubbed as “Britain’s Best Place” by the Academy of Urbanism, Steep Hill in Lincoln dates back to the Roman age when the hill was chosen as a strategic military fort.
One of the most notable structures on the street is The Jew’s House, one of the earliest inhabited town houses in England.
4. Elm Hill, Norwich
The historic cobbled street in Norwich dates back to Tudor period. The pleasant lane got its named from an elm tree that stood in the square since the 16th Century.
Elm Hill is dubbed the best preserved Medieval street in Norwich and one of the most romantic places in Britain.
3. Kings Parade – Cambridge
Located in central Cambridge, the King’s Parade along with King’s College are major attractions and the most photographed street in England.
However, when the college was founded in the 15th century, this part of the city was an industrial centre.
2. Petticoat Lane Market-London
The famed clothing market in the East End of London officially is called the Middlesex Street Market. In Tudor times the Middlesex Street was known as Hogs Lane, a charming alley lined by elms and hedgerows.
The city bakers were allowed to store their pigs in this lane outside the city wall. The street became a commercial district at the beginning of the 17th century when second-hand clothes were sold and exchanged.
The street became a commercial district at the beginning of the 17th century when second-hand clothes were sold and exchanged. Today Petticoat Lane is known as the oldest market in England.
1. The Shambles – York
Located in the heart of the city of York, England, the Shambles is an old medieval street, often called Europe’s best preserved, with overhanging timber-framed buildings, some dating back as far as the fourteenth century.
The Shambles was historically a street of butchers shops and houses and the word was used for the shelves that butchers used to display their meat.
In case you are heading England this period, add some of these iconic medieval streets to your “must visit” list.