The Age of Bad Roads 7 1 



than Newcastle. All between that place and Preston is a 

 country, one would suppose, devoid of all those improvements 

 and embellishments which the riches and spirit of modern 

 times have occasioned in other parts. It is a track of country 

 which lays a most heavy tax upon all travellers and upon 

 itself. Such roads are a much heavier tax than half a crown 

 a horse for a toll would be. Agriculture, manufactures and 

 commerce must suffer in such a track as well as the traveller. 

 . . . Until better management is produced I would advise 

 all travellers to consider this country as sea, and as soon 

 think of driving into the ocean as venturing into such de- 

 testable roads." 



That the roads in the south of England were no improve- 

 ment on those in the north is shown by the same writer's 

 " Six Weeks Tour through the Southern Counties of England 

 and Wales," wherein he says : 



" Of all the cursed roads that ever disgraced this kingdom 

 in the very ages of barbarism, none ever equalled that from 

 Billericay to the King's Head at Tilbury. It is for near 

 1 2 miles so narrow that a mouse cannot pass by any carriage ; 

 I saw a fellow creep under his waggon to assist me to lift, 

 if possible, my chaise over a hedge. ... I must not forget 

 the eternally meeting with chalk waggons, themselves fre- 

 quently stuck fast till a collection of them are in the same 

 situation that twenty or thirty horses may be tacked to each 

 to draw them out one by one." 



Of the " execrably muddy road " from Bury to Sudbury, 

 in Norfolk, he says : " For ponds of liquid dirt and a scattering 

 of loose flints, just sufficient to lame every horse that moves 

 near them, with the addition of cutting vile grips across the 

 road under pretence of letting water off, but without the 

 effect, altogether render at least 12 out of these 16 miles as 

 infamous a turnpike as ever was travelled." As for Norfolk in 

 general, he declares that he " does not know one mile of 

 excellent road in the whole country." 



Conditions in and around London were not much better 

 than in the country. In 1727 George II. and his Queen were 

 the whole night in making their way from Kew Palace to St. 

 James's. At one particularly bad place their coach was over- 

 turned. In 1737 the time usually occupied, in wet weather, in 

 driving from Kensington to St. James's Palace was two 



