▁buildings ▁that ▁had ▁been ▁sever ely ▁dam aged ▁in ▁the ▁World ▁War ▁II ▁Ba ed ek er ▁Bl itz . ▁From ▁ 2 0 0 5 ▁the ▁prec inct ▁and ▁some ▁surrounding ▁buildings ▁were ▁demol ished ▁and ▁re built ▁as ▁a ▁new ▁sho pping ▁centre ▁that ▁opened ▁in ▁September ▁ 2 0 0 7 . ▁ ▁History ▁Open ed ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 0 s , ▁Princess h ay ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁ped est rian ised ▁sho pping ▁street ▁in ▁the ▁country , ▁running ▁from ▁Bed ford ▁Street ▁to ▁East gate ▁House , ▁roughly ▁parallel ▁with ▁the ▁High ▁Street . ▁ ▁The ▁name ▁was ▁also ▁used ▁for ▁the ▁entire ▁post - war ▁development ▁on ▁the ▁south ▁side ▁of ▁the ▁High ▁Street ▁between ▁Paris ▁Street ▁and ▁the ▁C athedral ▁prec inct , ▁lying ▁north ▁of ▁Southern h ay . ▁ ▁It ▁replaced ▁the ▁pre - war ▁area ▁known ▁as ▁Bed ford ▁Circ us ▁( which ▁included ▁the ▁East gate ▁Ar cade ) ▁that ▁was ▁level led ▁by ▁the ▁City ▁Council ▁following ▁damage ▁in ▁the ▁Bl itz . ▁Before ▁building ▁comm enced , ▁a ▁pla que ▁was ▁un ve iled ▁at ▁the ▁site ▁on ▁ 2 1 ▁October ▁ 1 9 4 9 ▁by ▁Princess ▁Elizabeth ▁after ▁whom ▁the ▁development ▁was ▁named . ▁ ▁After ▁demol ition ▁of ▁the ▁prec inct ▁started ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 5 , ▁arch ae ological ▁work ▁was ▁undert aken ▁ow ing ▁to ▁its ▁potential ▁interest , ▁being ▁close ▁to ▁the ▁centre ▁of ▁the ▁ancient ▁Roman ▁town