1 6 - THE BATH ROAD 



the domains of archaeology. Then, however, it had 

 its poignant side. 



" The perils of the road in winter and foul weather," 

 says one who braved them, " were formidable. On 

 one occasion I rode sixteen hours under a deluoino- 

 down230ur of rain that never ceased for a single 

 minute, and was so crushing in its efiect as to disable 

 every umbrella on the roof before the first hour had 

 elapsed. On another occasion I started at six on a 

 winter's morning outside the Bath " Regulator," which 

 was due in London at eii>ht o'clock at nioht. I was 

 the only outside passenger. It came on to snow aljout 

 an hour after we started — a snowstorm that never 

 ceased for three days. The roads were a yard deep 

 in snow before we reached Reading, which was 

 exactly at the time we were due in London. Then 

 with six horses we laboured on, and finally arrived 

 at Fetter Lane at a quarter to three in the morning. 

 Had it not been for the stiff doses of brandied coffee 

 swallowed at every stage, this record would never 

 have been written. As it was, I was so numbed, 

 hands and feet, that I had to be lifted down, or 

 rather, hauled out of an avalanche or hummock of 

 snow, like a bale of goods. The landlady of the 

 ' White Horse ' took me in hand, and I was thawed 

 gradually by the kitchen fire, placed between warm 

 pillows, and dosed with a posset of her own com- 

 pounding. Fortunately, no permanent injury re- 

 sulted." 



That was as late as 1816. Happily, although the 

 term " an old-fashioned winter," is one frequently 

 employed nowadays to denote one of exceptional 



