Union Street, Reading

Union Street

Smelly Alley
View north in 2007
Location	Reading, Berkshire, UK
Postal code	RG1
Coordinates	51°27′22.58″N 0°58′24.04″W / 51.4562722°N 0.9733444°W / 51.4562722; -0.9733444Coordinates: 51°27′22.58″N 0°58′24.04″W / 51.4562722°N 0.9733444°W / 51.4562722; -0.9733444

Union Street, also known locally as Smelly Alley, is a pedestrian alley in the centre of the English town of Reading. It is lined with small shops and other retail outlets, and connects Broad Street and Friar Street. There used to be many food shops in the alley, but now there is one butchers, one greengrocers and one fishmongers as well as other small shops.

The name Smelly Alley does not come from the presence of the long-established Smelly Alley Fish Company (formerly Frosts fishmongers), but because in the 16th century it had an open sewer running down it and became known as "Smelly Alley".