h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

There are no streets in the City of London.

Doesn't Fleet Street count?

The City of London starts at Temple Bar - where Fleet Street turns into The Strand. So Fleet Street is not in the City.

But the city and Fleet Street are both east of this point, no?

Or am I being monumentally thick?

(which is more than likely)

Also what about Threadneedle Street?

On further looking into it, it's me that is being monumentally thick. I saw the boundary and moved the City to the wrong side to fit my interesting fact. Sorry Ashley.

The interesting fact should actually be -

*There are no Roads in the City of London*

It's used to confuse tourists mainly. And tired cab drivers, obviously.

& h2g2 researchers

I was refering to me when I said tired cab drivers. I was very tired from xmas shopping yesterday. That's my excuse for getting my own joke wrong, anyway.

I wuz refering to me when I mentioned h2g2 researchers

Ah I see. Well, Ashley appears to have departed in disgust at my stupidity, so do you need me to go into a bit more detail?

well I think I'm familiar wiv the concept but perhaps for the sake of future readers ..?

Ok, well none of the roads in the Square Mile are called 'something Road' (not street, as I initially misremembered), so it's a great joke for cabbies when passengers want to go to the City, we say - I can't drive there, there's no Roads in the City.

I s'pose it's worth mentioning that there is a City Road, but - you guessed it - it's not in the City. It ends at one of the city gates (Moorgate).

Up and down the City Road,
In and out 'The Eagle' -
That's the way the money goes:
Pop goes the weasel.

The City of London dates from the Roman occupation, and 'street' comes from Latin 'strata via' - a paved way. Many Roman roads, even long cross-country routes, are still known as 'street' - eg Watling Street - because they were old Roman roads.

A number of City thoroughfares aren't called street or anything like that - eg Bevis Marks, Crutched Friars, Cheapside, Poultry, etc.