T he trend for building beautiful arcades so shoppers could be under cover and avoid the rain began in the early 1800s in Paris. Not to be outdone by the French, the Brits soon started opening their own elaborate structures and there are now more than a thousand scattered across the country. Here are our favourites, along with some lovely places to stay nearby.
The Royal Arcade, Mayfair, London Elaborate stucco wall arches and ornate cast-iron balconies are among the architectural highlights of this Mayfair arcade, unveiled in 1879. Its first tenants included a shirtmaker regularly visited by Queen Victoria, and Edward Goodyear, a florist favoured by the royals. While both are long gone, the current shops would also most likely have got Victoria’s stamp of approval: the British brand Ormonde Jayne goes big on luxurious home fragrances, the chocolatier Charbonnel et Walker has a royal warrant and Simon Griffin Antiques specialises in pristine silverware (royalarcade.
london). Native Mayfair, an 11-room hotel in a former mews house, is a 20-minute walk away. Details Room-only doubles from £275.
