28 THE BATH ROAD 



the coaches ran only between that place and Bath. 

 In March, 1840, the railway w\as open as far as 

 Reading; and June 30, 1841, saw trains running 

 between London, Bath, and Bristol, and the road 

 deserted. 



The difference between those times and these is 

 sufficiently striking to demand some attention. Fares 

 Ijy mail were 4c/. a mile ; by stage-coach, from 4(7. to 

 3k/. a mile inside, and 2c/. outside. Or, if one wanted 

 to travel somewhat cheaper, and did not mind an 

 all-night journey, the fares by night coach were about 

 2\d. and \\d. respectively. The cost of travelling to 

 Bath was therefore anything from 35.^. down to 146*. 

 To these figures 5s. or 6*. should be added, for 

 coachmen (md guards always expected to be tipped, 

 while something like half a sovereign for refreshments 

 was essential. 



For those whose time was of no consecpience, and 

 whose pockets were not well lined, there were the 

 slow lumbering stage -waggons, which progressed at 

 about four miles an hour and stopped everywhere. 

 The fare by these was something under a penny a 

 mile, and refreshments were correspondingly cheap, 

 for the landlords of the wayside inns, who despised 

 this kind of travellers, provided a supper of cold beef 

 at 6c?. a head, and a shake-down of clean straw in the 

 stable-loft at a nominal price. 



If, on the other hand, one desired to do the thing 

 in style, it was always possible to post down. Only 

 the great men of the earth did that, for the cost was 

 more than considerable, tolls alone for a carriage and 

 pair amounting to ^s. In fact, posting pair-horse to 



