F E AT U R E By Will Jennings
Beneath the city 1
The humble cobble is often confined to tourist centres in British cities, but Will Jennings takes an international perspective and argues for a re-valuation of this historic building material 1. Yorkstone setts at Roker, Sunderland. Kevin Johnson
All pictures are copyright the author quoted alongside their caption
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couple of years ago, National Express ran a publicity-inducing poll asking for the “prettiest streets in Britain”, presumably in the hope it would lead to an uplift in daytrips across the country. The coaches themselves would struggle to navigate most of the 19 winning streets, as the public favoured narrow passages, steep inclines and pedestrianised historic town centres. At number one were the tightly squeezed Shambles in York, an
irregular grid of tourist shops with nostalgic stones, cobbles and setts underfoot. The list largely comprised streets of similar paving to the Shambles, with the narrow incline of Frome’s Catherine Hill, Haworth’s Brontëtastic Main Street and the Tudorlicious Elm Street of Norwich all making the cut. It’s also worth noting that most of the winning streets were firmly located on Britain’s tourist map, and when visitors pound streets they are hunting for unique, personal and memorable experiences. The irregular
Unearthed during routine maintenance work in the Georgian Quarter of Liverpool, these wooden setts have supported the public highway for 200 years. They were used in wealthy areas as they result in less noise than cart wheels on stone setts. David McKenna
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