CHAP. XF. TELFORD'S HIGH ROADS. 433 



saving rather more than fourteen miles between the two 

 points, and securing a line of road of much more favour- 

 able gradients. 



The principal bridge on this new highway was at 

 Pathhead, over the Tyne, about eleven miles south of 

 Edinburgh. To maintain the level, so as to avoid the 

 winding of the road down a steep descent on one side 

 of the valley and up an equally steep ascent on the 

 other, Telford ran out a lofty embankment from both 

 sides, connecting their ends by means of a spacious 

 bridge. The structure at Pathhead is of five arches, 

 each 50 feet span, with 25 feet rise from their springing, 

 49 feet above the bed of the river. Bridges of a similar 

 character were also thrown over the deep ravines of 

 Cranston Dean and Cotty Burn, in the same neighbour- 

 hood. At the same time a useful bridge was built on 

 the same line of road at Morpeth, in Northumberland, 

 over the river Wansbeck. It consisted of three arches, 

 of which the centre one was 50 feet span, and two side- 

 arches 40 feet each ; the breadth between the parapets 

 being 30 feet. 



The advantages derived from the construction of these 

 new roads were found . to be so great, that it was pro- 

 posed to do the like for the remainder of the line 

 between London and Edinburgh ; and at the instance 

 of the Post-Office authorities, with the sanction of the 

 Treasury, Mr. Telford proceeded to make detailed sur- 

 veys of an entire new post-road between London and 

 Morpeth. In laying it out, the main points which he 

 endeavoured to secure were directness and flatness ; 

 and 100 miles of the proposed new Great North Road, 

 south of York, were laid out in a perfectly straight line. 

 This survey, which was begun in 1824, extended over 

 several years; and all the requisite arrangements had 

 been made for beginning the works, when the result of 

 the locomotive competition at Eainhill, in 1829, had 

 the effect of directing attention to that new method of 



VOL. II. 2 F 



