Dunedin's Baldwin Street has just reclaimed its title of the world's steepest street!

Publish Date
Thursday, 9 April 2020, 9:53AM

After an uphill battle, Dunedin's Baldwin St has reclaimed its world record.

Yes, those out for their government-mandated daily walk can add the world's steepest street to their route.

Guinness World Records has reversed its controversial decision to strip Baldwin St of its claim to fame, admitting its measuring method had been wrong.

The street was dethroned by Ffordd Pen Llech in Harlech, Wales, last July.

Baldwin St held the record for a decade.

 

The backtrack was thanks to months of hard work by Dunedin surveyor Toby Stoff, who argued that because the record-setting bid was measured on the inside verge of a curve, it greatly exaggerated Ffordd Pen Llech's steepness and disadvantaged Baldwin St, which is straight.

Stoff campaigned hard for his appeal, even travelling to Wales to measure the opposition himself.

This week Guinness said after checking it out, and getting expert opinions, Stoff was right.

In an email to Stoff, Guinness also said it would use the right methodology for all future record bids.

Ffordd Pen Llech is now the world's steepest street.Ffordd Pen Llech.

 

"Guinness World Records takes appeals of this nature very seriously and we have thoroughly investigated the claim," it wrote.

"Following a review of your survey report, as well as consulting with industry specialists, we have concluded that for the 'steepest street' record title the best practice for gradient is to take the measurement from the centreline of the street.

"As a result we will be reinstating Baldwin Street as the Guinness World Records title holder with a value of 34.8 per cent."

It is not the first time Baldwin St has been challenged - a claim in 2016 that St Mary's Hill in Chester was steeper was dismissed by Guinness because it is inaccessible to vehicles.

 

This article was first published on nzherald.co.nz and is republished here with permission.

- Additional reporting: ODT

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