The Shambles in York wins first ever Google Street View Award

LONDON - The Shambles, an old street in York, with overhanging timber-framed buildings, has been voted as Britain’s most picturesque street in the first ever Google Street View Awards.

The cobbled shopping street, which dates back as far as the fourteenth century and is now a tourist destination, is lined with buildings that overhang the street by several feet.

Ian Addyman, who owns a shop on The Shambles, said it was full of “historic charm”.

“There is a real feeling of community amongst shop owners and I think we all feel privileged to work in such a beautiful place. The shops here are all strikingly different and unique,” the Telegraph quoted him as saying.

“Most people say that if you visit York, then at some point you will walk down The Shambles. It has been the backdrop for many a jigsaw, chocolate box and railway poster and once you visit you will see why,” he said.

The Royal Crescent in Bath and Grey Street in Newcastle came second and third respectively in the vote for the most picturesque street.

More than 11,000 people voted for their favourites after 51 streets were short-listed by a panel of experts in the three categories.

Stockbridge High Street in Hampshire was voted the ‘best foodie street’ and Milson Street in Bath won the award of ‘best fashion street’.

“Stockbridge is an old market town, and now a great destination for foodies,” Suzie Fiducia, of The Restaurant at The Greyhound in Stockbridge, said.

Ed Parsons from Google said: “The Google Street View Awards are aimed to celebrate the many fantastic streets that Britain has to offer, and the results reveal a diverse cultural landscape of food, fashion and beauty that puts the winning towns firmly on the map.”

The competition was created to coincide with new imagery being added to Google’s Street View tool, which allows users to access 360 degree images of a wide range of locations around the UK.

The winning streets will feature largely in the expanded Street View, with Google creating special guides to inform users of special points of interest and particular retailers.

Judging the competition were a number of industry experts, including Deputy Channel Head of Good Food Roopa Gulati, Editor of Glamour magazine Jo Elvin, and Lonely Planet writer David Else. (ANI)