376 COACHING DAVS AND COACHING WAYS 



in one of the most entrancing towns in England from an 

 antiquary's point of view, dates from the fourth Edward ; 

 while, to go further afield for a fine specimen of a differ- 

 ent period, at Scole in Suffolk, the White Hart, erected 

 in 1655 by John Peck, merchant, of Norwich, still retains 

 some fine carving, and had till the end of the last cen- 

 tury an enormous sign containing many figures — Diana 

 and Actaion, Charon, Cerberus and sundry other worthies, 

 carved in wood by Eairchild, at a cost of ;^io57. 



Such splendid monuments of road-travelling as these 

 may fitly round this disjointed story of England's Coach- 

 ing Days and Ways. In looking back over many miles 

 covered and many incidents missed I find little cause for 

 self-congratulation, save the fact that I have at least kept 

 to my programme. I have traversed an obscure period 

 carefully on well beaten tracks, and to my pioneers' 

 assistance I hope I have always made due acknowledg- 

 ment. To give an accurate, a statistical record of the 

 prime age of coaching has been in most cases their object, 

 and they have in most cases attained to it. If a minor 

 measure of success attends my enterprise I shall be con- 

 tent — content, that is to say, if I have caught some 

 flavour of the romance of the Great Roads of England 

 from the time when the Plying Machine of Charles the 

 Second's age lumbered out of the Belle Sauvage Yard, up 

 to the day when the Holyhead Mail via Shrewsbury, 

 timed at eleven miles an hour, was our fathers' wonder, 

 and the pride of this perfect road — '' Mr. Bicknell's spicy 

 team of greys." 



/ 



^ 



Tin-: END. 



klCllAkb Cl.AY AND SONS. LIMlTliD, LONDON AND BUNGAV. 



