Book II. KINDS OF ROADS. 511 



3282. In Irelandy very little attention was paid to the art of road-making before the 

 establishment of the Dublin Society : but the subject was treated of in the early volumes 

 of their transactions, and some useful instructions there given, as it is generally under- 

 stood, by R. L. Edgevvorth ; and the surface as well as substrata of that country being 

 singularly favorable for road-making, the art soon began to make considerable progress. 

 This was greatly owing to the exertions of Edgeworth, well known as a scientific engineer 

 and as the author of a tract on roads, published in 1810. 



3288. The extraordinary increase of toll duties in England having been felt as a very 

 heavy burden by the landed interest during the last twenty years, has drawn the attention 

 of various persons to the stibject of roads, and given rise to important improvements ; 

 both in laying them out, and in forming and repairing them. By far the most useful of 

 these may be considered the mode of forming, practised since 1816, by L. M'Adam, of 

 Bristol ; for which its author was rewarded by parliament. That mode is now with more 

 or less variation adopted in a considerable number of districts in the three kingdoms, and 

 together with the attention and emulation it excites, promises to effect an entire revolution 

 in the state of the public roads everywhere. At the same time it is but candid to state with 

 Paterson,of Montrose, author of two tracts (1819 and 1822) on the subject, that in many 

 districts a considerable improvement had previcyusly taken place in the state of the roads, 

 simply from a greater attention being made to keep them dry, and constantly to obliterate 

 the ruts. 



3284. But Af'^dam's plan of making roads is not only superior to all others for 

 country roads ; but promises to be equally valuable as a substitute for pavement or cause- 

 ways in towns. It has been tried in sotne of the principal streets of the metropolis, and 

 will probably soon become general in all tlie great thoroughfares. (See Observ. on 

 Roads by J. L. M'Adam, Esq. 1822.) 



3285. In the following view of the present state of knowledge as to roads we shall avoid 

 entirely that part of the subject which relates to national or parochial management, and 

 confine ourselves to the kinds, direction or line, the form, the materials, and the execu- 

 tion, and the repairs. 



Sect. I. Of the different Kinds of Roads. 



3286. Though all roads agree in being tracts of passage from one point to another, yet 

 they diflTer in their magnitude, construction, and other modes of adaptation, for that pur- 

 pose. Most good roads consist of two parts ; one " metalled" or coated with stones for 

 the use of carriages and horses ^p q 432 a 

 (Jig. 432 a) ; another of common y^ r \rr-^^ 

 earth or soil, as a border to the ' ^ 

 metalled part (6), or for the use of 

 pedestrians; and probably a footpath for the latter (c). Several kinds of roads are distin- 

 guished by the relative proportions of these two parts ; but some also are characterised 

 by otlier circumstances. 



3287. National roads, or highways, are such as communicate between the capital 

 cities and sea-ports of a country, and are those of the greatest magnitude. In Britain, 

 the metalled part of such roads where they are most frequented, as within a few miles of 

 large towns, is from 30 to 50 and even to 60 feet wide, with footways on each side of 

 12 feet wide or upwards, and in no case is the metalled part of the road narrower than 

 20 feet ; that width being requisite to admit of one loaded waggon passing another. 

 Many, or most of these narrower national roads are without footpaths, and often want a 

 sufficient bordering of earth road, or footpath. 



3288. Parochial roads may be considered as secondary highways, deriving their name 

 from the circumstance of being made and supported by the parish in which they are 

 situated ; whereas the others are the work of government, or of the counties in which tliey 

 are situated, and are supported by tolls levied on carriages and animals, passing over 

 them, whereas the others are supported by parochial rates or assessments. 



3289. Lanes are parish or private roads generally narrow, and often either not me- 

 talled at all, or very imperfectly so ; sometimes they are called drift-ways, but that term 

 is more properly applied to the green or unmetalled space, which runs parallel to any 

 made road. 



3290. Estate roads are such as are made by landed proprietors on their own territory, 

 for the purpose of intercommunication and connection with public roads. 



3291. A farm-road is either one which leads to a farmery, from a public road, or which 

 leads from the farmery to different parts of the farm. Such roads are never narrower 

 than 16 feet, to admit of two carriages passing each other ; but they are often only half 

 metalled, presenting a turf road for summer, dry weather, and for empty carriages and 

 foot passengers, and a metalled or winter road, for winter and loaded carriages. In a 

 road froni a highway to a farmery, it may often be advisable to place the metalled road in 

 the middle, and keep the earth road at each side, on account of admitting the sun and 



