160 AAWALS OF THE ROAD. 



CHAPTER XXIX. 



A DRIVE ON THE GREAT WESTERN ROAD. 



My experience of the Great Western Road, from driving 

 down to Taunton two or three years ago, enables me to 

 speak highly in its favour. The road is kept in excellent 

 order throughout, and the inns l are well kept and most 

 comfortable. In all the inns I put up at post-horses are 

 kept. I give them as I found them. The ' Virginia 

 Water ' inn, excellent accommodation for man ; but as I 

 only changed horses here, cannot say what accommo- 

 dation the)' may have for horses. The Hartford Bridge 

 inn we found shut up. At Basingstoke, the ' Red Lion,' 

 capital stables and good in every way. Andover, the 

 ' Star and Garter' inn, all very good indeed ; the tits in 

 the stable well looked after. Park House inn, only baited 

 here. Salisbury, the ' White Hart,' excellent. Bland- 

 ford, the ' Crown,' very good. Woodgate's inn shut up, 

 Mr. Day having taken the inn as part of his extensive 

 stables ; though if a feed of oats is all you require, I feel 



1 1 use the word ' inn ' advisedly ; for an inn, according to Johnson's 

 dictionary, is ' a house of entertainment for travellers.' The signification of 

 the term \ hotel,' in its modern acceptation, makes it appear synonymous 

 with inn ; whereas the term ' hotel ' properly means a genteel lodging-house, 

 such as the Bedford Hotel, Brighton, Hatchett's, London, &c. 



