The Coaching Era 53 



ten days. Exeter is a little over 170 miles from London, and 

 the journey can be done to-day, by rail, in three hours. 



From London to Portsmouth took, in 1703, fourteen hours, 

 " if the roads were good." 



The Oxford coach in 1742 left London at 7 a.m., arrived at 

 High Wycombe at 5 p.m., remained there for the night, and 

 reached Oxford the following day. 



By 1751 travelling between London and Dover had so far 

 improved that it was accomplished in two days by stage- 

 coach, instead of three or four days by long waggon. The 

 coach left London every Wednesday and Friday at four in 

 the morning ; the passengers dined at Rochester, stayed for 

 the night at Canterbury, and were due at Dover " the next 

 morning, early." The announcements made in respect to this 

 coach state that " there will be a conveniency " that is, a 

 basket " behind, for baggage and outside passengers." 



The advancement made by the stage-coach over the long 

 waggon was, however, satisfactory for a time only. By about 

 1734 the stage-coach itself began to find a rival in what was 

 called " the flying coach," otherwise a stage-coach which 

 travelled at accelerated speed. Thus the advent of a " New- 

 castle Flying Coach " was announced in the following terms : 



" May 9, 1734. A coach will set out towards the end of 

 next week for London or any place on the road. To be per- 

 formed in nine days, being three days sooner than any coach 

 that travels the road, for which purpose eight stout horses 

 are stationed at proper distances." 



In 1754 a " flying coach " between Manchester and London 

 was started by a group of Manchester merchants who, with 

 the developing trade of those times, doubtless felt the need 

 for improved facilities of travel. It was announced that 

 " incredible as it may appear, this coach will actually arrive 

 in London four days and a half after leaving Manchester." 



If the person who wrote this advertisement could only 

 come to life again, what would he be likely to say to the fact 

 that London and Manchester are to-day only four hours apart, 

 and that a London merchant, after doing a morning's work 

 in the City, can leave Huston at noon, lunch in the train, be 

 in Manchester by four o'clock, have two hours there, leave 

 again at six, dine in the train, and be back in London by ten ? 

 On the other hand, what does the London merchant who can 



