37-471: Southport Town Hall is on the east side of Lord Street , Southport , Sefton , Merseyside , England. It was built in 1852–53 in Palladian style, and extended to the rear on three occasions later in the century. The town hall has a symmetrical stuccoed façade with a central staircase leading up to a porch flanked by columns. At the top of the building is a pediment with a carved tympanum . The town hall
74-518: A House of Commons committee concluded that the loss of small shops on high streets in favor of chain stores contributes to the formation of clone towns , leading to "a loss of sociability ". In 2011, business consultant Mary Portas , best known for the TV series Mary Queen of Shops , was commissioned by the UK government to provide an independent review of High Street shopping. The report provided evidence for
111-950: A highway ). In most cities the main business and shopping area is rather referred to as Innenstadt (downtown) or by the specific street name. In Cologne the Hohe Straße (literally, High Street) is the main shopping street, but was named after a gate at its southern end (the Hohe Pforte , or High Gate). The term High Street is far less commonly used in Ireland. There, like in the United States, Main Street tends to be used instead. Neither of Dublin's two main shopping streets ( Grafton Street and Henry Street ) carry this name, for example, nor does its main thoroughfare ( O'Connell Street ). While Dublin has street named High Street near Christchurch , formerly
148-421: A slate roof in Palladian style. It has a rectangular plan plus extensions to the rear. The hall is in two storeys with a basement, and it has a symmetrical front of seven bays . Between some of the bays are paired pilasters , giving a window arrangement of 1:2:1:2:1. The basement and ground floor are rusticated . Between the floors are a frieze and a cornice , the upper cornice being dentillated . In
185-401: A major shopping street named High Street ( Irish : An tSráid Ard ), including Killarney , Galway , Wexford , Ballinrobe , Westport , Bagenalstown , Macroom , Tuam , Wicklow , Trim , Monaghan , Kilkenny , and Kilrush . Bantry, County Cork is an interesting variant; the main shopping street is called High Street in its western part and Main Street in its eastern part. The same
222-408: A number of different variables. Research has highlighted the ongoing challenges faced by towns and cities and suggested that "[t]he town centre serves not only social, utilitarian or hedonic shopping purposes but also supports out-of-hours entertainment and leisure services. The way that consumers perceive and use town centres has also fundamentally changed." In order to address the issues threatening
259-578: A preponderance of stores selling luxury branded goods. In the United Kingdom, geographic concentration of goods and services (including at industrial estates and out of town shopping centres) has reduced the share of the economy contributed to by workers in the high street. High Street refers to only a part of commerce. The town centre in many British towns combines a group of outdoor shopping streets (one or more of which may be pedestrianised ), with an adjacent indoor shopping centre. High Streets through
296-528: A presence in Southport by holding some of the meetings of its full council at Southport Town Hall. In 2012 a blue plaque was erected outside the town hall to recognise the sacrifice of F. J. Hooper, a local man who went to the South Pole in search of the bodies of Robert Falcon Scott and his team after their ill-fated Terra Nova Expedition in 1912. Southport Town Hall has a stuccoed façade painted white, and
333-478: A street where the most important shops and businesses were located. In Britain, the term 'high street' has both a generic and a specific meaning: people refer to 'shopping on the high street' both when they mean the main retail area, as well as the specific street of that name. Many former British colonies, including Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the US region known as New England (especially Massachusetts ), adopted
370-404: A typical high street to differentiate them from more specialised, exclusive and expensive outlets (often independent stores) – for example, "High Street banks " (instead of the less-common private or investment banks ) or "High Street shops" (instead of boutiques ). The phrase "High Street banks" is used to refer to the retail banking sector in the United Kingdom. Alongside High Street ,
407-638: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . High street High Street is a common street name for the primary business street of a city, town, or village, especially in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth . It implies that it is the focal point for business, especially shopping . It is also a metonym for the retail sector. While many streets, such as Camden High Street (in London). bear this name, streets with similar function but different names are often referred to as "high street". With
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#1732851219439444-681: Is a term used in smaller towns and villages in Scotland , while in North East England Front Street is common. In Cornwall , some places in Devon and some places in the North of England, the equivalent is Fore Street; in some parts of the UK Market Street is also used, although sometimes this may be a different area where street markets are currently (or were historically) held. Following
481-542: Is compelling evidence to suggest the street is the inspiration behind the tree-lined boulevards of Paris . Between 1854 and 1870, Napoléon III orchestrated the reconstruction of the French capital. The medieval centre of the city was demolished and replaced with broad tree-lined boulevards, covered walkways and arcades. 53°38′53″N 3°00′22″W / 53.648°N 3.006°W / 53.648; -3.006 This England road or road transport-related article
518-493: Is found in Athlone and Birr, County Offaly . In Jamaica, the main commercial district is Front Street (especially in cities located alongside a waterway). In Norway, the main commercial and administrative street is most often 'Storgaten/Storgata' (Grand Street) In Sweden, the main street is often 'Storgatan' (Grand Street), but as common is 'Drottninggtan' (Queen's street) and 'Kungsgatan' (King's Street)' The equivalent in
555-502: Is frequently used in Quebec towns, and "a village where the main street is still Main Street" is a phrase that is used in respect for small towns. In some sections of Canada, the main commercial district is Front Street (especially in cities located alongside a waterway). In Germany , the equivalent is Hauptstraße (Main Street), though this can also refer to a road with a lot of traffic (i.e.,
592-468: Is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II listed building . The town hall was designed by Thomas Withnell and built at a cost of about £ 4,500 between 1852 and 1853. The building was extended to the rear in 1859, and was further extended in 1865, and again later in the 19th century. In 1964 the architect, John Poulson , put forward a plan, which
629-783: Is used across various types of settlements; from densely populated inner suburbs of Dublin such as Ranelagh , to satellite suburbs of the capital such as Swords , and also in villages and small towns throughout the country. For example, the OSI North Leinster Town Maps book lists sixteen "Main Streets" and only two "High Streets" in its thirty-town index of street names. Similarly, the OSI Dublin Street Guide (covering all of Dublin City and County Dublin) lists twenty "Main Streets" and only two "High Streets". Some Irish towns do have
666-599: The Atkinson Art Gallery and Library , and the Southport Arts Centre . Lord Street, Southport Lord Street is the main shopping street of Southport , in Merseyside . It is 1 mile (1.6 km) long, with a roundabout marking each end of the street. There are many water features, gardens and architectural buildings along the entire street, with a mix of residential, commercial and public buildings. It
703-500: The Great Fire of London (1666), the city of London was completely rebuilt. New planning laws, governing rebuilding, designated four types of street based on the size of their carriageways and the types of buildings. Shops were permitted in the principal street or 'high street', but not in the by-lanes or back streets. This may have been based on the need for high visibility in order to regulate retail trade, as well as to avoid congestion in
740-526: The Industrial Revolution , the department store became a common feature in major High Streets across Britain, with Harding, Howell & Co. , opened in 1796 on Pall Mall , London, a contender for the first department store. Founded in London in 1792, bookseller and stationers WHSmith is the world's oldest national retail chain . The 19th century was a "golden era" for High Street shops. The rise of
777-548: The rapid increase in consumer expenditure the number of High Streets in England grew from the 17th century and reached a peak in Victorian Britain where, drawn to growing towns and cities spurred on by the Industrial Revolution , the rate of urbanisation was unprecedented. Since the latter half of the 20th century, the prosperity of High Streets has been in decline due to the growth of out-of-town shopping centres , and, since
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#1732851219439814-567: The United Kingdom , with the balance shifting towards the latter. In the early 21st century, bricks and mortar retailers confronted another major threat from online retailers operating in a global marketplace. To confront this threat, High Street precincts have been forced to evolve; some have become smaller as shops shut their doors, while others have become more like social spaces with a concentration of retail services including cafes, restaurants and entertainment venues while yet others have positioned themselves as more up-market shopping precincts with
851-433: The centre of the building is a double parallel staircase with a balustraded parapet . This leads to a porch flanked by a pair of pilasters and a fluted Doric column on each side. On top of the porch is a triglyph frieze, a cornice, and a balustraded parapet. Above the porch is a balcony with a window flanked by Ionic semi-columns and paired pilasters. The windows in the basement are short and rectangular, those in
888-458: The centre of the medieval city, it is not a shopping street. The city of Cork 's main shopping street is St Patrick's Street . The city's oldest streets are named North Main Street and South Main Street. Limerick 's principal thoroughfare, like Dublin, is also O'Connell Street (the name is used in a number of other Irish towns in honour of Daniel O'Connell ). The term Main Street ( Irish : An tSráid Mhór , literally "The Big/Great Street")
925-404: The centuries The popularity of shopping malls in the mid-20th century, combined with the rise of online retail at the turn of the century has threatened the viability of high street retail precincts. Initiatives to preserve the traditional British High Street are evident. Research into the customer's shopping preferences and patterns reveals that the continued vitality of towns is predicated on
962-471: The decline of High Street precincts such as data indicating that retail spending in High Street shops had fallen to below 50 per cent. Her final report set out a vision for High Streets and a number of recommendations. However, her plan has failed to stem the number of High Street store closures, leaving authorities in a quandary about how to proceed. The term "High Street" is used to describe stores found on
999-542: The early 21st century, the growth of online retailing, forcing many shop closures and prompting the UK government to consider initiatives to reinvigorate and preserve the High Street. High Street is the most common street name in the UK, which according to a 2009 statistical compilation has 5,410 High Streets, 3,811 Station Roads and 2,702 Main Streets. In Middle English the word "high" denoted superior rank (" high sheriff ", " Lord High Chancellor ", " high society "). "High" also applied to roads as they improved: " highway "
1036-413: The ground floor are tall and round-headed with keystones and voussoirs , and in the upper floor they are tall and flat-headed with architraves . All the windows contain sashes . Above the central bay is a pediment with a tympanum containing carved personifications of Justice, Mercy and Truth, and this is flanked by balustraded parapets. The original interiors are no longer present. The town hall
1073-490: The middle class in Victorian England contributed to a more favourable attitude to shopping and consumption. Shopping centres became places to see and be seen, for recreational shopping, and for promenading . By the 20th century, however, the viability of High Streets began to decline. In the second half of the 20th century, traditional British High Street precincts came under pressure from out-of-town shopping centres in
1110-489: The narrow lanes and back streets. Accordingly, from the 17th century, the term "High Street" gradually assumed a narrower meaning and came to describe thoroughfares with significant retail in large villages and towns. With the rapid increase in consumer expenditure , in the late 17th and 18th centuries the number of High Streets in England increased markedly. Britain also saw an unprecedented growth in urbanisation with people flocking to growing towns and cities. Nurtured by
1147-423: The sustainability of towns it is increasingly important to consider Consumer behaviour and customer experience . This is in line with research that proposes that for high street retail to thrive in spite of the growth threat of eCommerce , the sensual hedonic experiences (e.g. scent, feel, etc.) need to be presented to visitors while allowing for discovery of hidden experiences in the built environment. In 2006,
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1184-418: The term Main Street is also used in smaller towns and villages. The Dutch equivalent is Hoogstraat , or in villages Dorpsstraat ("village street'). Alongside the term High Street , the terms Main Street or "Central Avenue" are also used. In Canada, east of Lake Superior, King Street and Queen Street are often major streets; rue Principale , as the literal French language equivalent of Main Street
1221-400: The term to refer to retail shopping areas. Main street is used in the island of Ireland. In Britain, some 3,000 streets called High Street and about 2,300 streets with variations on the name (such as Upper High Street, High Street West) have been identified, giving a grand total of approximately 5,300. Of these, more than 600 High Streets are located in London's boroughs. Main Street
1258-472: Was a new term taken up by the church and their vestries during the 17th century as a term for all public roads between settlements. From the 19th century, which saw a proliferation in the number of public roads, the term "highway" lost its specific meaning, and was legally defined as any public road (e.g., the Highway Code regulates UK public roads). The term "high street" assumed a different meaning, that of
1295-470: Was designated as a Grade II listed building on 15 November 1972. Grade II is the lowest of the three grades of listing and is applied to buildings that are "nationally important and of special interest". The authors of the Buildings of England series comment that the design is "quite modest ... but impressive". The town hall forms a group with other Grade II listed buildings nearby,
1332-489: Was laid out in the early 19th century. Southport Lord Street railway station , which opened on 1 September 1884, was the terminus of the Southport and Cheshire Lines Extension Railway . Although it closed to passengers in 1952, the frontage of the building was retained. In 1846, Prince Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte , the future Napoléon III , Emperor of the French , lived for a brief period in lodgings just off Lord Street. There
1369-473: Was never realised, to demolish the town hall and various other properties to create a shopping centre. The town hall was the headquarters of the county borough of Southport but ceased to be the local seat of government when the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton was formed in 1974. The main administrative base for new council was established at Bootle Town Hall although the council continued to maintain
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