REVIVAL OF COACHING. 167 



ride on the Brighton was an object of eager ambition to 

 men in all parts of the world. Passengers offered them- 

 selves more than the coach could hold ; and the brilliant 

 success of its ' opening day ' was followed by a run of the 

 same, which has not yet found a terminus. 



This same year (1869), several other stage-coaches 

 were put upon the road. One for Tunbridge Wells, which 

 had started in 1868 for Sevenoaks; another for Windsor; 

 and a third for High Wycombe. 1 The Windsor coach 

 ran for only two seasons ; but the others held their 

 ground more successfully. The history of coaching for 

 the next few years is to a large extent a record of 

 new and unimportant adventures and speedy failures. 

 Coaches were started for Oatlands Park, Virginia 

 Water, Rochford, Hampton Court and Sunbury, and 

 Reigate. The details of these most sporting though 

 unsuccessful schemes are scarcely worth recording. One 

 event, however, stands out amongst and above all others 

 of the period, as a complete success ; namely, the estab- 

 lishment in May 1871 of the London and Dorking coach. 

 For lovers of the picturesque it would hardly be possible 

 to choose a more attractive piece of road of the same 

 length, or a tract of country presenting so much real 

 beauty and variety. The choice of this road was deter- 

 mined by the urgent counsel of Mr. A. G. Scott, who 

 as honorary secretary accepted the management of the 

 project. The proprietors had originally intended to run 

 a stage-coach to Canterbury ; but on Mr. Scott's repre- 



1 Mr. John Eden is the proprietor of this stage, which has run every 

 summer since. 



