[1] The street roughly follows a Roman road which ran between the fortress of Eboracum and the River Ouse.

Remains of residential Roman buildings have been found in excavations.

A hoard from the Viking Jorvik period has also been found, while St Mary's Church, on the street's north-east side, appears to have pre-Conquest origins.

In 1921, the St George's Hall cinema opened, closing in 1959.

[2] The street currently hosts a mixture of commercial and residential uses, including a small chocolate factory.