Steep rivalry

THE HILLY NORTH WALES TOWN EMBROILED IN ACCIDENTAL COMPETITION WITH NEW ZEALAND

- By MILO BOYD and ANDREW FORGRAVE

Baldwin Street, Dunedin, New Zealand, which currently holds the title of world's steepest residential street

A DING-dong battle between Wales and New Zealand over the world’s steepest street led to the creation of an accidental rivalry.

Harlech in Gwynedd briefly held the title until the honour was reinstated to a spot over 10,000 miles away in Dunedin, a city on New Zealand's South Island.

Dunedin’s Baldwin Street had previously held the record before being usurped by Ffordd Pen Llech in Harlech due to its steeper gradient.

However, after an “extensive review” of their respective inclines, the North Wales town was demoted to second place globally.

When Ffordd Pen Llech initially clinched the title, it sparked scenes of “jubilation” Subsequent assessments revealed that Baldwin Street actually boasted the steeper gradient of 34.8%, compared to Ffordd Pen Llech’s 28.6%.