These are the UK’s 7 best high streets, according to the Times

A good high street can do several things. It can show off the history of a place, make space for independent businesses, be dotted with delicious coffee shops and generally just look really pretty. 

There are loads of of lovely high streets across the UK that tick all of those boxes. But the Times has declared seven British high streets better than all the rest. 

First up is Lymington in Hampshire. The newspaper called this ‘a best-of-both-worlds high street where the architectural grandeur of a market town […] can be enjoyed alongside seaside souvenir shops and the smell of the ocean’. 

The high street in Narbeth, Pembrokeshire was second on the list for its colourful collection of shopfronts and artisan stores selling the best of Welsh-made jewellery, art and foodstuffs. At number three was North Berwick in Scotland. Special shoutouts went to its seafood restaurant, Lobster Shack, and the (award-winning) pastries at Bostock Bakery. 

‘Postcard pretty’ Corbidge in Northumberland came in at number four while Greenwich in London landed in fifth place. Then it was Northern Ireland’s Royal Hillsborough, picked for its bustling oyster festival in the summer alongside its spectacular surroundings, being in a forest on a lake. 

Completing the list was the high street of Stamford in Lincolnshire for being ‘blooming lovely, from its medieval façades to its pedestrianised cobbles’. The Times recommended St Mary’s Books for your next read, Arch Label Agency for your next vintage find and Katie Cardew for all your gifting needs. 

Looking to move to a charming new postcode? These 50 streets were recently named the UK’s best to live on. If you’re after streets with a bit more edge, visit Time Out’s expertly curated list of the coolest streets in the world. 

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