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!
9. Dovey Road, Moseley
It’s not quite Lovey-Dovey Road, but Dovey Road in Moseley makes our list | Google Street View
10. Lye Close Lane, Quinton
This is certainly one of the more romantic road names in the region, with the Quinton road giving an unintended message | Google Street View
11. Rose Road, Coleshill
Here’s another Road Road in Birmingham. Roses were known to be a symbol of desire and secrecy in Roman mythology. Romans associated the flowers from red roses with beauty and love. | Google
12. Honeybourne Road, Halesowen
Next up on the list is Honeybourne Road in Halesowen, for obvious reasons. | Google Street View