Does every British city have a "high street"?

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Itchy-Gur2043@reddit

Not every town or city has a street called 'high street' but many do.

Most will have a main shopping street but in bigger cities there can be more than one.

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moidartach@reddit

What city doesn’t have a street called “high street”?

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sickiesusan@reddit

Newcastle Upon Tyne. Leeds? Manchester? Cambridge. London.

Lots of cities don’t but I think a lot of towns do.

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moidartach@reddit

Manchester has one. London has one. Newcastle has one. Cambridge has one. Leeds doesn’t though

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sickiesusan@reddit

A small village now swallowed up into Cambridge…

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Trumpington is now part of Cambridge, but its High Street belongs to the suburb rather than the city as a whole. Cambridge doesn't have a High Street per se, but the streets around the marketplace serve a similar function.

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moidartach@reddit

So does the city of Cambridge does have a street called High Street or not?

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SilyLavage@reddit

Yes, but it is not Cambridge's High Street.

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menevensis@reddit

Cambridge itself does (or did) actually have a high street; it’s just that the name has been displaced by King’s Parade/Trinity Street.

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moidartach@reddit

I think - I could be wrong - I only asked what cities don’t have a street called “high street”

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SilyLavage@reddit

So you're happy to concede that Cambridge city centre does not have a High Street?

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moidartach@reddit

I don’t give a shit about where it is hahaha. The city of Cambridge absolutely has a street called “high street”

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SilyLavage@reddit

If you don't care where it is then you can easily concede that the city centre doesn't have a High Street.

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moidartach@reddit

I don’t give a shit. What’s going on here? I didn’t ask about city centres

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SilyLavage@reddit

What's going on is that I'm asking if you agree that Cambridge city centre doesn't have a High Street.

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moidartach@reddit

That has absolutely no relevance to the question I asked that you took upon yourself to respond to. If you want your question answered then I’d suggest posting it and seeing if someone engages with it.

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SilyLavage@reddit

I am asking you specifically. If you don't care I'll just assume you agree with me.

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moidartach@reddit

You can assume all you want haha

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SilyLavage@reddit

I will. Very odd that you wouldn't just agree with an obvious truth.

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moidartach@reddit

Because I don’t care about you’re talking about hahaha. You’re obviously very keen for my approval.

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greenmx5vanjie@reddit

No. Petty Curt, Market Hill, Sidney Street, Kings Parade and Trinity Street make up the main commerce area.

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moidartach@reddit

It literally does though

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Hulla_Sarsaparilla@reddit

Manchester doesn’t have a High Street in the city centre, it’s Market St and Deansgate, none of the other shopping streets are High St.

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AsleepClassroom7358@reddit

London Boroughs may have a high Street but there is no High Street, London

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sickiesusan@reddit

Also it’s Gosforth High Street which is in Newcastle Upon Tyne, it follows on front the Great North Road …

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moidartach@reddit

Is Gosforth in Newcastle?

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sickiesusan@reddit

It’s a part of Newcastle but it’s not in the centre of Newcastle.

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moidartach@reddit

Can you quote where I gave conditions that it had to be in the centre? I get what you’re saying but cities grow and boundaries change. There are parts of Glasgow, for example, that were swallowed up by the city but you’d be laughed at for suggesting Govan, Partick, and Glasgow Central Station weren’t actually part of Glasgow haha

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SilyLavage@reddit

The High Street of a city does need to be in its centre, I'd say. Gosforth has a High Street, but it doesn't function as the High Street of Newcastle; that's probably Northumberland Street.

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moidartach@reddit

So the question I asked which is at the top of this thread, that you replied to, was one where I was enquiring what cities don’t have a street called “high street”. Not what their function was or where they were located in a city. You’re welcome to reread it

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Ouryve@reddit

And historically, Gosforth would have been a town in its own right, hence its high street.

And lots of towns in the NE have a Front Street, rather than a High Street.

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moidartach@reddit

Is Gosforth not in the city of Newcastle Upon Tyne? Maybe I’ve got it wrong

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SilyLavage@reddit

So you have no issue with the fact that Newcastle city centre does not have a High Street.

To answer your question, as far as I can see Durham, Carlisle, Truro York do not have High Streets.

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moidartach@reddit

I didn’t ask about city centres haha. Are you okay? You can read over my comments again if this fact escapes you. You’re trying to change the parameters of my question for some odd reason.

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SilyLavage@reddit

I've answered your question. So far as I can see, Durham, Carlisle, Truro, and York do not have High Streets.

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moidartach@reddit

Well done you. 😂

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SilyLavage@reddit

Thank you. Now you know that some cities don't have High Streets.

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moidartach@reddit

In fairness half the ones you mentioned have high streets. You’re hardly an authority, but I appreciate you trying your best

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SilyLavage@reddit

I think you're wrong. I can't find a High Street in Carlisle, Durham, York, or Truro.

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moidartach@reddit

Newcastle?

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SilyLavage@reddit

No. I listed Carlisle, Durham, York, and Truro.

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sickiesusan@reddit

Sorry are you OP?

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moidartach@reddit

You replied to MY question hahaha

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-oioimate@reddit

If there was a high street in toon it'd be Northumberland street, gosforth high street is the high street of gosforth, different imo

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smcl2k@reddit

The City of London doesn't.

Aberdeen doesn't.

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chris5689965467@reddit

The City of London’s historic shopping street is Cheapside.

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moidartach@reddit

Aberdeen absolutely does have a “high street”

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King-Of-Throwaways@reddit

When you say London has one, are you referring to a specific street or to the many shopping streets around the city?

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Active_Definition_57@reddit

There is no High Street, London but there are quite a few streets called (name of a neighbourhood) High Street or High Road.

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sickiesusan@reddit

Yes, High Street Ken etc

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Fantastic-Pear6241@reddit

Glasgow has a High Street but it's definitely not the main street of the city

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moidartach@reddit

Not sure what the point of your response was. I asked

”What city doesn’t have a street called “high street”?”

You could have simply just stopped at mentioning Glasgow. The urban sprawl moving the centre away from the original centre/main thoroughfare is irrelevant. You should have said Stirling.

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Fantastic-Pear6241@reddit

The question in the OP is about equivalent to Main Street in the US. Which in most cities/towns there it is the central hub road of the area.

So that's why it matters.

Glasgow High Street is no longer that. Many cities have, but over time the centre has tended to move, while in the US due to the towns being newer that isn't the case.

So it's quite relevant. You've just chosen to make it not relevant because of a dumb argument elsewhere in this thread.

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moidartach@reddit

You’re replying to ME though

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Fantastic-Pear6241@reddit

And the general topic is about what OP mentioned. I stayed on topic, you didn't. Only you are also resorting to childish insults to try and make yourself feel superior to others.

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moidartach@reddit

You responded to my question though? Has this escaped you?

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Fantastic-Pear6241@reddit

I'm honestly interested in how long you'll keep going just to keep arguing that you are somehow in the right.

I'm going to keep a little tally mark going

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moidartach@reddit

”I’m going to keep a little tally mark going”

The actions of a totally normal individual

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Fantastic-Pear6241@reddit

Yes, you are totally a normal and well-rounded individual too. Just look at all your comments in this thread as evidence of that.

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moidartach@reddit

I asked a question and responded to the replies. You know how Reddit works? Your account is two years old so I assume you do…

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Fantastic-Pear6241@reddit

Ah so you're also going through my account now? Very normal, very well-rounded individual.

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moidartach@reddit

Ah so you don’t know how Reddit works. My bad. So when you click someone’s profile it literally has how old their account is on the front page. It’s not a deep-dive, buddy, you realise this, right?

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Fantastic-Pear6241@reddit

Right, you clicked on my profile to check it out and look deeper into the account. Very well rounded individual. And I must say I'm so far impressed by your ability to just keep responding. Keep it up!

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moidartach@reddit

”And I must say I’m so far impressed by your ability to just keep responding”

This is a self-own, which you’ll prove in your inevitable response.

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Fantastic-Pear6241@reddit

Oh dear, but I made it clear quite some time ago I was prepared to keep going because I was intrigued on how long you'd keep responding; just to try and "win" whatever this is you have going on.

Did you forget about that bit?

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Specialist-Web7854@reddit

Norwich

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Infinite_Crow_3706@reddit

Is that because of the proposed pedestrianisation? I'm against it, traders need access to Dixons

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filbert94@reddit

I reckon it's good for mums with bairns and that

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Specialist-Web7854@reddit

Maybe there’s a High Street at the Owl Sanctuary?

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gothreepwood101@reddit

Or Long Stanton Spice Museam

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Hellolaoshi@reddit

What do they call it instead of a high street?

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Specialist-Web7854@reddit

There are several high streets, but not a High Street.

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Dear_Statistician494@reddit

Norwich has Gentleman's Walk, and Magdeline Street. No specific High Street.

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Specialist-Web7854@reddit

Correct. I was answering which city doesn’t have a High Street.

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moidartach@reddit

Closest I could find was Marsham!

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Pizzagoessplat@reddit

I can't think of one in York

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SpecialistAd1779@reddit

Leeds - the main shopping street is called Briggate, from the Norse for 'Bridge Street'

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thefooleryoftom@reddit

Birmingham.

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kalendral_42@reddit

Marleybone High Street

Kensington High Street

Birmingham also has a High Street near the Bullring

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thefooleryoftom@reddit

Which are the High Streets for Marylebone and Kensington which used to be villages. Not “London”.

There is a High Street in Birmingham, but it’s not the High Street. That would be New Street probably.

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moidartach@reddit

This is a ridiculous argument. Of course Marylebone and Kensington are in London.

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intergalacticspy@reddit

It doesn't change the fact that the City of London doesn't have one.

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moidartach@reddit

Can you point to where City of London was mentioned?

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intergalacticspy@reddit

Literally the answer to the question "which city doesn't have a street called "high street".

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moidartach@reddit

Nice. But your response was like you were labouring a point. One that hadn’t been made

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intergalacticspy@reddit

I think it's pretty obvious to anyone who understands that there are multiple meanings of London, and only one of them is technically a city.

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moidartach@reddit

So London (not the city of) isn’t a city? You learn something new every day

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intergalacticspy@reddit

No, it's a metropolitan area comprising two cities (London and Westminster) plus 31 other boroughs.

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moidartach@reddit

So you’re saying - just to confirm - that London is not a city?

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intergalacticspy@reddit

There is only one London that is officially a city, and that is the City of London. Next to it is the City of Westminster, which is where Marylebone High Street is located.

What people mean when they refer to “London” outside the City is either Greater London (the two cities plus 31 other boroughs), the London postal district (all the areas with a London address) or the area within the M25. The Mayor of London is actually the Mayor of Greater London, which is why he is supervised by the Greater London Assembly.

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thefooleryoftom@reddit

That wasn’t the question, though. They aren’t “London High Street”.

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ScaryMagician3153@reddit

There’s a ‘High Street’ in Walthamstow. Does that count? It’s a High street. It’s in London. Unless you’re arguing that only the square mile actually counts?

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thefooleryoftom@reddit

Not to me, because it’s not “London High Street”. That’s Walthamstow

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ScaryMagician3153@reddit

Fair enough. I guess then in response to OP’s question, I would say; London has an interesting history where it’s basically made up of lots of little towns and villages that all grew until they’re one big city, and many of those little boroughs all have their own high streets, but ‘London’ didn’t, because it’s not really a single entity

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thefooleryoftom@reddit

It does, and London was an entity on its own before all the villages joined up into boroughs. But it pre-dates High Streets as we know them.

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moidartach@reddit

They are streets called “high street” in London. Ffs

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thefooleryoftom@reddit

Yes, I understand that premise. I’m not stupid.

But that’s not what the OP is asking about, is it? London doesn’t have a High Street, but it does have lots of streets within it called High Street, like Bethnal Green, Shoreditch, etc etc.

London has lots of large, major streets like Regent Street, Oxford Street, The Strand, etc etc.

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dolphineclipse@reddit

I feel like Oxford Street is central London's equivalent of a high street

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StillJustJones@reddit

‘I’m not stupid’

You are a bit.

And definitely a fully signed up pedant.

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thefooleryoftom@reddit

Okay, well that’s not very nice. Bye, now.

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StillJustJones@reddit

The fact is that Greater London has swallowed up dozens and dozens of towns, villages and hamlets. so ‘the city’ (not the square mile obvs) has hundreds of individual ‘high streets’, this does not escape you.

I believe that you know that you were being finicky, and know full well that high streets are part of most towns and cities (even if, in modern times they are no longer the main or central focus of the main/central shopping area).

You were being a bit picky.

I recognise I was being a bit snarky… but c’mon.

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moidartach@reddit

”Yes, I understand that remorse. I’m not stupid”

I’m honestly not convinced.

We also don’t know what they’re asking about because America doesn’t typically have main shopping streets in their cities. I took it to mean just streets called “high street” in general.

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thefooleryoftom@reddit

That’s fair enough, but that’s not the meaning I interpreted.

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kalendral_42@reddit

My point exactly & in Birmingham as well

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kalendral_42@reddit

Kensington High Street

Marylebone High Street

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thefooleryoftom@reddit

Yes, you said those already.

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kalendral_42@reddit

You asked me which the high streets in Kensington & Marylebone were - those are the high streets in Kensington & Marylebone. Clues in the name

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thefooleryoftom@reddit

Yeah - and I already answered you. You ignored that and posted them again without responding.

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kalendral_42@reddit

No you answered by asking which the high streets were in Kensington & Marylebone - the names of the high streets in Kensington & Marylebone are Kensington High Street & Marylebone High Street.

The High Street in Birmingham is also called High Street & runs from The Bullting & Grand Central to New Street.

Those are the streets called High Street in those areas

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thefooleryoftom@reddit

No, that wasn’t a question. I was pointing out those listed are the high streets for those villages, not London.

If you say “London High Street”, no one knows what that is, because there isn’t one.

High Street in Digbeth is just that. It doesn’t run anywhere near the Bullring or New Street. Same situation - saying to someone “it’s on the High Street” in central Birmingham makes no sense.

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moidartach@reddit

The question that I asked was

”What city doesn’t have a street called “high street?”

London has several

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moidartach@reddit

I’m replying to a comment that said not every town and city has a street named “high street”. I asked which cities didn’t have one. You’re more than welcome to reread the comments

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BeaumarchaisApu@reddit

The street right in the centre that leads out from the main entrance to Bullring in Birmingham that has shops and banks on it is literally called 'High Street'

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thefooleryoftom@reddit

That’s New Street.

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BeaumarchaisApu@reddit

No High Street, it’s got Metro Bank, Waterstones, Holland and Barrett, Card Factory, Barclays, Greggs, Three.

Like, you know, a High Street.

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thefooleryoftom@reddit

So it is! I thought that was Dale Streer.

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fezzuk@reddit

Link it on Google maps then.

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stealthykins@reddit

I assume they mean this one

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Ouryve@reddit

Durham. The city centre is mostly North Road, Silver Street and Saddler Street.

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Ouryve@reddit

And Newcastle.

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moidartach@reddit

There’s a high street in the city boundaries of Newcastle

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chris5156@reddit

In the north it’s often Main Street.

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moidartach@reddit

Every city in the north has a high street

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chris5156@reddit

Can you show me the one in Leeds?

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moidartach@reddit

The question said “British” not “English”. Leeds is not in the north of Britain

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chris5156@reddit

Ah, pedantry. What fun

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moidartach@reddit

It’s not pedantry. It’s literally what the question asked. you confusing England with Britain is you being wrong. Not me being a pedant.

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mattay22@reddit

Cumbernauld famously

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moidartach@reddit

Cumbernauld famously isn’t a city

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mattay22@reddit

Whether somewhere actually has city status is a fairly mute point in this context

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moidartach@reddit

You mean a “moot” point, but what do you mean “in this context”? You know you’re responding to a question I asked where I asked specifically for cities?

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kumran@reddit

I don't know about cities but in West country towns it's often called Fore Street instead. Exeter has both.

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ThePants999@reddit

It's Fore Street in Hertford, some distance from the West Country :D

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mysilvermachine@reddit

Nottingham doesn’t have a High St.

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moidartach@reddit

Yes it does.

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GoHomeCryWantToDie@reddit

Stirling doesn't.

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NervousCost9257@reddit

Livingston. It eas only built 50 years ago Blew my mind to realise the "high street" was in a shopping mall

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moidartach@reddit

Is Livingston a city?

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-thisname-@reddit

Truro, Cornwall.

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Johnny_Vernacular@reddit

Lisburn.

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Aid_Le_Sultan@reddit

Winchester definitely does have a ‘high street’.

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Johnny_Vernacular@reddit

How thrilling!

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barrybreslau@reddit

Telford

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Itchy-Gur2043@reddit

Leeds

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Dedward5@reddit

Indeed, In Cornwall for instance many towns have “Fore St” not a “High St”, is essentially the same, but it’s not named “High St”

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Inner-Marionberry-25@reddit

Same in lots of Devon. I couldn't remember what Exeter has, but it looks like it technically has both, and changes from one to the other at a junction

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NortonBurns@reddit

I live close to a Fore St, north London. Back in the day, it was the 'prime' road.

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shypeteite@reddit

Lol uou are brave to admit that but depends how close you are to this street i guess lol

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Odd_Lab_7244@reddit

Or a Market Jew Street👀

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Dedward5@reddit

Everywhere needs an Egypt House.

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Frogad@reddit

i thought high street was just a term for place with shops rather than an a literal name

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Itchy-Gur2043@reddit

It refers to in person shopping in abstract terms. So news reports will talk about high street shopping. But yeah it usually does refer to an actual street. So if someone asks where is x shop and someone replies it's on the high street then they usually are referring to an actual street called High Street which is also, almost invariably the main shopping street.

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Frogad@reddit

Odd, I guess I’ve never lived anywhere with a street called high street and just assumed it was always used as a term

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Jale89@reddit

Confusingly in Leamington Spa the high street is called The Parade, and High Street runs perpendicular to it near the bottom.

The town developed as a Georgian spa town, so the old High Street used to just be the street at the top of the original village, while The Parade was the main street of the spa town development.

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shypeteite@reddit

Most cities or towns have a centre. High streets are for smaller places like villages and suburbs but ofcourse these grow

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Professional-Test239@reddit

Yes, often but not always called High St. And they won't always be straight as our towns aren't planned grids unlike in North America.

Also lot of older towns will have two town centres, an old town and a new(er) town. Edinburgh is the best example of this. The old high street is the Royal Mile leading away from the castle. And Edinburgh new town (which is itself 200 years old) has Princess St as the main drag.

Another example, Kenilworth has an old town centre near it's castle and a much larger busier high street a mile or so away.

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Think_Ground_1985@reddit

No, not every city. Milton Keynes is a city and there is no central shopping street, called High Street or otherwise. There is a huge shopping centre, (mall,) instead.

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leafericson93@reddit

Kenilworth is the perfect example of the phenomenon of people saying “high street” and not meaning the road name.

The what gets referred to as “THE high street” is called ‘Warwick Road’ on the road signs.

And where people are talking about the road that is literally ‘High Street’ on the road signs they will always say “the OLD high street” to distinguish that they mean the one on that side of town

Source: I grew up there

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JakeRiddoch@reddit

Could say something similar for Aberdeen. High Street there is in the University area, part of "Old Aberdeen", the main street is Union Street. However, old Aberdeen isn't a shopping thoroughfare like High Street in Edinburgh. It's got far fewer tourist tat shops for a start...

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Vimes3000@reddit

I'll meet you at the New Inn, on the High Street

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Outrageous_Shirt_737@reddit

I just had to Google the city I grew up in because I couldn’t remember an actual street called High Street! Turns out, they have one but it’s not what would be considered the “high street”. Weird.

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martinbaines@reddit

No. A lot in Scotland have a "Main Street" but many places have neither.

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One_Complex6429@reddit

Northern towns often have Front Street.

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ChampionshipComplex@reddit

The word HIGH in Old English has the meaning of high as in PRINCIPLE, or MAIN - rather than the meaning of Tall.

So phrases like "High Court", "High Sherriff", "High Church.

And street comes from the latin for paved road, as many of the early streets were Roman paved roads.

But by the 17th century - high street had come to mean the principal commercial street in the town, so in the UK it tends to mean the main shopping area.

So asking someone where the HIGH STREET was before 1600s would have been the same as asking where the main street was.

The only Americanisms I can think of that uses HIGH with that meaning still, would be HIGH SOCIETY, or HIGH OFFICE,

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debrisaway@reddit (OP)

High treason

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Joel-Asher-Nicolaou@reddit

Milton Keynes. No High Street

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brushfuse@reddit

High Road or High Street is very, very common, but not universal. Especially as there is Welsh Gymraeg and Scottish Gaelic Gàidhlig to take into account as part of the British Isles, amongst other dialects.

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Only_Tip9560@reddit

Usually there is a high street and a central business district yes.

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Dharl61@reddit

Milford Haven in Wales, the two main roads are Hamilton Terrace ( Church, town hall, pubs, banks and big merchant houses located with views over the water) and Charles Street which is the defector High Street with shops and more pubs! The Town was founded by Charles Hamilton hence then names!

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Infundibulus@reddit

Pretty much, it's a very common name for the street where the posh shops were.

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Active_Definition_57@reddit

I don't think Peterborough has a High Street.

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clea@reddit

Most villages do. But then Americans tend not to understand the concept of village.

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Active_Definition_57@reddit

I think in the US, a 'village' is a trendy neighbourhood in a large city.

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skibbin@reddit

"The High Street" Is often used meaning the main shopping street, whatever it's actual name might be

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debrisaway@reddit (OP)

Noted

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CactusCastrator@reddit

The High Street is also used as a generic term - 'sales on the high street were down by 50%' would mean that in physical shops, sales were down by 50%.

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ElegantOliver@reddit

Yeah don't get all these pedantic comments arguing about roads actually named "High Street". Our main shopping road in the town centre isn't called High Street but we still refer to it as such. Because that's simply what it is

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MercuryJellyfish@reddit

I wonder which is Manchester's "high street." Could be Market Street, could be Deansgate.

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spidertattootim@reddit

I think it's a kinda pointless question tbh. As you'd expect for major city centre, Manchester clearly has multiple centres of retail. Market Street, Deansgate, St Anne's Square, and that's not even counting the inside of the Arndale.

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MercuryJellyfish@reddit

Well, you weren't obliged to answer it

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spidertattootim@reddit

You weren't obliged to ask it.

There isn't a real answer to it, is my point.

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MercuryJellyfish@reddit

God, that's such a stupid thing to say. "You weren't obliged to ask it." Do you ever look at what you've said and just feel ashamed? Like, look at all the normal people talking and wonder why you're not like them?

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spidertattootim@reddit

It's no more stupid than "you weren't obliged to answer it", which is a pathetic butthurt response to the point I was making.

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MercuryJellyfish@reddit

Maybe, tldr

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eclangvisual@reddit

Definitely Market Street

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Amazing_Fennel_1542@reddit

It's market street

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moidartach@reddit

Probably High Street, Manchester. I don’t think they’re asking for the main thoroughfare/shopping street

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MercuryJellyfish@reddit

Well, if you're going to go purely on which street is actually called High Street, that's going to be a very short and boring conversation. Yes, Manchester City Centre has a literal High Street, and once, that was clearly a more significant commerical street than it is now.

I thought they were asking for the main commercial street, and that's the more interesting question. Especially as historically, High Street clearly used to be more commercially significant, and that went away with the development of the Arndale, which centralised that kind of trade.

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Professional-Test239@reddit

I always thought it was Market St as it was pedestrianised, but that is a great question.

Perhaps Market St is the main street and Deansgate is the main road.

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Active_Definition_57@reddit

There is no High Street in Letchworth Garden City where I live.

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SallyNicholson@reddit

No.

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MuttonDressedAsGoose@reddit

It's not always called "high street." But the main street often is.

In my town, there's a high street but there's nothing much on it because it's a dual carriageway. Parallel to it is a "Market Street" that is the main street.

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House_Of_Thoth@reddit

I have a small theory that "High Streets" tend to be at the highest point in the local area, and therefore was where the Church was built as to carry the sound of the bells far, and be a focal point for the surrounding areas. Eventually these got built around as a "town centre" and thus roads and infrastructures centred around these became literally the High(est) Street

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Curious-Term9483@reddit

High used to mean something similar to important/significant rather than physical height. (Still used that way in some phrases like "high and mighty"). So the name came from the buildings that were congregated there. But you are right - it makes sense to put more important buildings near the ones that already exist o you get a the town centre area building up!

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spikeinfinity@reddit

I used to have a general rule that if I was in a new place, wherever the WH Smith was, that was the "high street" or the main shopping street. Now that they're TG Jones I'm not sure that's the case any more.

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BuncleCar@reddit

Cardiff has a High Street but I prefer Queen Street

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BadBacksFuryToad@reddit

USA has “Main Street” or equivalent. It’s the same.

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eclangvisual@reddit

I’d say Salford is a notable exception. Has a shopping centre but not a high street.

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nineteenthly@reddit

I don't think St David's has one. Telford isn't a city but seems not to have one - it just has a shopping centre.

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Just_Curious_76@reddit

Many of them do. I kind of like to compare it to the “Plaza” that every Spanish town has. Our town has one.

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BeanOnAJourney@reddit

Do you mean the concept of a high street (ie the main street with all the big name shops), or an actual street named "High Street"? Because some towns have one and not the other, some have both and in many cases they aren't the same street.

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debrisaway@reddit (OP)

TDLR

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Captain_Piccolo@reddit

You can’t even get the acronym right…

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jimmyboogaloo78@reddit

Station road

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madeupname45@reddit

I loved in Milton Keynes....it's complicated

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This-Willow-4655@reddit

London's got 40+ High street's an a few hundred something high street if i remember correctlyish

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docentmark@reddit

It’s better than that. They all have exactly the same high street.

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THXORY@reddit

I think High Streets tend to be in towns rather than cities. The shopping areas in cities tend to be known by their actual names, e.g. Oxford Street in London, Northumberland Street in Newcastle, Buchanan Street in Glasgow etc.

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Shackled-Zombie@reddit

High Street is the most popular street name in the UK (2086) with Station Road (1939) coming in 2nd place.

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djjudas21@reddit

I’m surprised Church Road didn’t beat Station Road

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Shackled-Zombie@reddit

It came in 5th.

Church Street (1,408)
Church Lane (1,328)
Church Road (1,074)

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djjudas21@reddit

Ah - Street, Lane, and Road split the vote!

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dying-swans@reddit

We need STV!

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waggers5@reddit

Interesting, I always thought it was London Road. Maybe that's the most popular road name as opposed to street name though.

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Crumptes@reddit

It is very common but if you think about the UK as a whole, the outer reaches are going to have far fewer London Roads. It's far less common in Scotland than England, for a start.

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DepthHistorical371@reddit

Part of the Royal Mile in Edinburgh is actually the High Street

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Ihatecheeseballs@reddit

Where else would they put the Turkish barbers

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Sjthjs357@reddit

Towns have high streets. It’s what Americans would call “the main drag”

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Paulstan67@reddit

The term "high street" doesn't necessarily refer to a street called "high street", it's now a term that generally means a main shopping area in a town.

This could be a street, a square, an arcade, even what some people would call a mall.

It's often used as a term to describe a product or company that is "everywhere" on every high street, in every town type thing.

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not1or2@reddit

No, Milton Keynes certainly doesn’t.

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Hellolaoshi@reddit

Surprisingly, in Scotland, some towns near me have a main street, not a high street.

In England, Cambridge's main thoroughfare seems to be called King's Parade.

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djjudas21@reddit

It depends if you mean a road specifically called High Street, or the more generic concept of a high street.

Most towns have a high street with shops, cafes, pubs, post office, etc. A lot of cities actually don’t, because they have outgrown a single high street and instead have a pedestrianised shopping area. Often, these areas are built in places that were bombed in the Second World War, then demolished/cleared in the 1950s to make way for a concrete utopia.

Lots of cities also have several suburbs/districts which used to be distinct towns/villages before being swallowed up, and these often have their own high streets.

As an example, I live in Bristol where there isn’t a central high street, but a post-war shopping area called Broadmead. Several suburbs (eg Kingswood and Hanham) do have high streets with their own shops, and some are even called High Street.

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Same-Engineering-899@reddit

most do but london has so many theres no longer enough to go around

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Rob1965@reddit

You could argue that Oxford Street is London’s largest “High Street”.

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nonsequitur__@reddit

Towns and villages tend to have a High Street or Main Street. Cities don’t really.

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Spottyjamie@reddit

Most will have a traffic calmed or pedestrianised area of shops, even my town of 17000 people has two pedestrian zones

Ill never understand why america’s downtowns are wide car driven streets that dont have the shops/bars/attractions all concentrated close by

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Cosmic-Hippos@reddit

Yes, or a main street

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-thisname-@reddit

No. In Cornwall you will find a 'Fore Street' in most towns, which predates the use of 'High Street'.

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Quaker_Hat@reddit

In Scotland it’s generally called a Main Street

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cragglerock93@reddit

There are a disproportionate number of main streets in Scotland, but most places also have a High Street - Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Dundee, Inverness, Perth, Elgin, Falkirk, Ayr, Kilmarnock, Dunfermline, Kirkcaldy, etc.

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cragglerock93@reddit

The biggest place I know of that doesn't have one (AFAIK) is Stirling.

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Cheap-Vegetable-4317@reddit

Not city because they're too big but all towns have a high street.

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TheShakyHandsMan@reddit

In my village there is a High Street. There’s no shops on it but it is at a higher elevation than the streets around it.

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Longjumping_Dark_460@reddit

Norwich does not have a High Street. It has a 'Gentleman's Walk' in the middle of the city.

In the rest of Norfolk the main road through a village is usually named 'The Street'.

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Historical_Project86@reddit

Many do, but it may not be the main street. Take my home town of Newport, for example. There are lots of Commercial Streets in South Wales, which are usually the main street.

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notacanuckskibum@reddit

Milton Keynes might be an exception. It was designed for cars with malls, not for walking along shopping streets.

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No_Weird_4150@reddit

Most cities have multiple high streets. A high street is generally what people call the main road running through each area

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notacanuckskibum@reddit

I think more specifically a High Street is a street lined with shops. But of course if your town in built on a major road the high street will likely develop on the main road in the middle of town.

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ukslim@reddit

Leamington Spa has a street named High Street, which is not its high street.

"The high street" means the main retail area, and Leamington's high street is called The Parade. High Street may have been the high street prior to Leamington's Regency period expansion.

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TheIronicDruid86@reddit

Canterbury, Kent, springs to mind.. a cluster of streets in the centre that are all shops and food places but not a "High Street" specifically though I am suffering self-doubt with this the more I think about it. Contrasted with Sittingbourne, Kent, that specifically has the High Street.

No prizes for guessing which county I live in.

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VodkaMargarine@reddit

Canterbury had a street that is literally called High Street and tubs right through the centre of the city with lots of shops and it's pedestrianised. I can't think of a more typical high street than Canterbury High Street.

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TheIronicDruid86@reddit

I'm going to admit that I never knew that was called High Street.. I was thinking St George's Street. Live and learn!

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SnooDonuts6494@reddit

I don't really understand your question.

All cities have streets.

Some of them will have shops on.

Is that what you mean?

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Sirlacker@reddit

No, there are many streets in the UK called High Street.

They aren't always the streets with shops on them, aka the high street but a majority are.

In other words do we have high streets called High Street. And yes, it's common.

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Batalfie@reddit

Yes generally several. Each area in my city has it's own high street.

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sometimes_point@reddit

So like, there are plenty of cities where the street called High Street is not "a typical high street". Like in Glasgow it's a historically important street but it's a bit away from the modern city centre, and streets like Buchanan Street are the shopping district. Or in Edinburgh the High Street is right in the centre but it's a tourist trap, and you go to Princes St for shopping. Someone else in the thread mentioned Birmingham's High St also not being "a high street".

But i would say almost every city has at least one street called High Street.

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BeaumarchaisApu@reddit

I think Milton Keynes might be the nearest you’d get to a city in Britain that doesn’t have what might be termed a ‘traditional‘ high street.

Even the diddy cities have high streets.

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movienerd7042@reddit

Outside of central Milton Keynes there are several places in MK that have high streets

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Professional-Test239@reddit

Salford is a city without a town centre because it nestles up against Manchester. (Don't tell Salford people this but it's actually West Manchester in all but name).

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GeordieAl@reddit

High street, Main Street, front street, market street… it varies from city to city. Some with other names like Northumberland Street in Newcastle

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Hungry-Artichoke-232@reddit

Cities don't. They have clusters of streets/roads in which lots of shops and businesses are found.

Towns typically do and they're often (but not always) called High Street.

Villages don't typically have a High Street by name but will often have a road with shops and a pub, or a crossroads around which those things are clustered.

Conceptually, "Main Street" in America = "High Street" in the UK.

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No_Election_1123@reddit

The towns/cities that have a medieval presence probably do have high streets. Places that became bigger after the Industrial Revolution may lack one, for example Birmingham was a small village pre industrial revolution and grew after the revolution so lacks a "high street"

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EUskeptik@reddit

Yes, but it’s not always called “High Street”.

For example, Preston calls its main street “Fishergate” and Reading call it “Broad Street”.