Love it or hate it, Valentine’s Day comes around every year and without fail you will see shops in and around Birmngham stocking love heart shaped cards, balloons, chocolates and much more for sweethearts to show off their love and affection.
And while Valentine’s Day has become a day to express love and romance through gifts, the history behind the day goes far beyond supermarkets trying to sell roses and cheesy cards.
If you didn’t know, Valentine’s Day is named after Saint Valentine, a Catholic priest who lived in Rome in the 3rd Century, and it’s believed by historians that the first Valentine’s Day was celebrated in 496 AD, when Pope Gelasius declared 14 February to be a commemoration of St Valentine.
It’s thought that Valentine’s Day originated from a Roman festival called Lupercalia, which was held in mid-February at the start of springtime. Valentine’s Day takes place annually on 14 February, and today we know it as a day for celebrating love and affection.
So with the big day on the way, we’ve decided to have a look at the most passionate and romantic road names in our area. According to Compare My Move, Rose is the most romantic road name in the UK, featuring in 3815 road names in the UK. This is followed by Dove which is mentioned in 1,254 different road names - and you’ll find both in street names in and around Birmingham.
Get ready to swoon - here’s our list!
1. Love Lane, Hollywood
This beautiful lane in Hollywood just outside of Birmingham is situated in the gorgeous countryside. A rather apt road name considering Photo: Google Street View
2. Love Lane, Birmingham city centre
It’s probably not one of the most picturesque roads in Birmingham, but it has one of the most romantic names! Photo: Google Street View
3. Rose Road, Harborne
Why is Rose considered romantic you ask? well, it has been believed that this type of flower was created by the goddess of love, Aphrodite
4. Lovelace Avenue, Solihull
As well as having a rather romantic name, Lovelace Avenue in Solihull takes the crown as the most expensive street in the West Midlands, with an average house price of £2,093,000.