Welsh street named steepest in world; New Zealand loses out

In this undated handout photo provided by Guinness World Records on Tuesday, July 16, 2019, Gwyn Headley and Sarah Badhan, stand on Ffordd Pen Llech with a certificate from Guinness World Records, confirming that the road is the steepest street in the world, in the seaside town of Harlech, North Wales. A street in Wales has been designated the steepest in the world after a successful campaign by local residents. The title comes at the expense of a street in New Zealand which has been eclipsed in the steepness sweepstakes. The Welsh campaign was led by businessman and architectural historian Gwyn Headley. (Andrew Davies/Guinness World Records via AP)

LONDON — A street in Wales has been designated the steepest in the world after a successful campaign by residents.

The title comes at the expense of a street in New Zealand, which has apparently been eclipsed in the steepness sweepstakes.

Guinness World Records said Tuesday that the street of Ffordd Pen Llech in the seafront town of Harlech, 395 kilometers (245 miles) northwest of London, has a gradient of 37.45%, two percentage points steeper than the former titleholder in Dunedin on New Zealand’s South Island.

The Welsh campaign was led by businessman and architectural historian Gwyn Headley. He said he feels “jubilation” now that the street has been recognized.

He also said he feels sorry for New Zealand, but that “steeper is steeper.” /kga