Why are there only "streets" in London and no "roads".?

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draytondon

Umm are you mental, or just asked the question based on your viewing of Eastenders?

Mark B

While the names are often misused, a street is chiefly any stretch of land adjoining and alongside buildings. It could therefore be pedestrianised etc. A road is generally more of a traffic thoroughfare. Given the age of central London, much of it's oldest infrastructure consists of streets, such as those in Soho, while the wider thoroughfares such as Charing Cross Road were designed for traffic (eg. horses and carriages) to pass down. This is their historical context and there has always been some overlap, which has increased over time, but that's why it's generally (but not absolutely) the major ones are roads and the smaller ones are streets.

SnoddersB

There are roads, but a road goes to somewhere, ie: Old Kent, etc. however streets are for housing so all other roads are called streets. Try looking at a street mat and note that from the centre of London roads radiate to the outskirts and streets do not.

fivetoze

the streets of london are paved with gold, and yet all roads lead to rome. boudicca sacked london not long after they burned colchester..... notice the roman roads, watling street. the fosse way... maybe its like we tried to eradicate all signs of roman occupation as soon as they left around AD400.

eggcatcher

loads of roads in london

david845453

There are hundreds of roads in London

Chav Princess

There are lots of roads in London! Do you even live in London??

mrogynist

portabello road?

Chrissi

There are thousands of ''Roads'', ''Streets'' and ''Closes'' over England.

Where the hell are you from???

Pete Sweet

Old Kent Road is in London.

Richard701

Let me take you by the hand
and lead you through the roads of London ......

Just doesn't sound right, maybe that's why there's streets :)

brickie storm

hundreds of roads all over London. London has some interesting roads. like Uxbridge road (longest named road in Europe) commercial road (busiest road in Europe) and the north circular road (a 406) which goes all the way round London inside the m25 not forgetting the old Kent road which has a pub on nearly every corner and I've been in them all. i hope this answers your question.

eflatsharp

You're talking crap. In the district in which I live there are no 'streets' - just 'roads' and a few 'avenues' too. What sort of map have you been studying?

juratyte

streets & roads are kind of da same fing saying that streets are a bit narower!

diab963

lots of roads in London - Wandsworth road off the top of my head
St johns Wood Road, Wellington Road, Loudon Road - thousands of them

silver_lover_lady

no idea

Mike10613

There are lots of roads. Like Abbey Road. Not many lanes, but Petticoat Lane has to be one of the most famous and of course Park Lane. The Old Kent Road even got on to the Monopoly board. Is Mayfair, a road, street or lane?

I should get top answer - there are even squares in London like Trafalger square, Berkeley square....

samanthajanecaroline

There are 'roads' like Uxbridge Road, Old Kent Road etc

Tamborine

I did a yahoo search on the difference between a street and a road and found tis website:
http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a990423.html
It's an interesting commentary - but rather Americentric

This answer is more global:
http://www.askoxford.com/asktheexperts/faq/aboutwords/street?view=uk

I think the general consenses is that their really is no difference between a street or a road - it's up to the whimsy of the person naming the pathway. So perhaps the people in London who named the streets had an aversion to roads?

ralphseviltwin

Well there's a saying that all roads lead to London, so I guess if they had roads inside it too it would all get very confusing.

Global Geezer

London is a city with Roman origins, and they were probably its first urban planners. Street comes from the Roman word 'straet' meaning a 'paved way.' But then you look at Portobello Road, Tottenham Court Road, Muswell Hill Road and so on.....

muffin

SOmething to do with horse and cart?