CHAP. XL TELFOKD'S LONDON AND SHREWSBURY ROAD. 441 



By means of these admirable roads the traffic of 

 North Wales continues to be mainly carried on to this 

 day. Although railways have superseded coach-roads 

 in the more level districts, the hilly nature of Wales 

 precludes their formation in that quarter to any con- 

 siderable extent; and even in the event of railways 

 being constructed, a large part of the traffic of every 

 country must necessarily continue to pass over the old 

 high roads. Without them even railways would be of 

 comparatively little value ; for a railway station is of 

 use chiefly because of its easy accessibility, and thus, 

 both for passengers and merchandise, the common roads 

 of the country are as useful as ever they were, though 

 the main post-roads have in a great measure ceased to 

 be employed for the purpose for which they were 

 originally designed. 



The excellence of the roads constructed by Mr. Tel- 

 ford through the formerly inaccessible counties of North 

 Wales was the theme of general praise ; and their supe- 

 riority, compared with those of the richer and more level 

 districts in the midland and western English counties, be- 

 coming the subject of public comment, he was called upon 

 to execute like improvements upon that part of the post- 

 road which extended between Shrewsbury and the metro- 

 polis. A careful survey was made of the several routes 

 from London northward by Shrewsbury as far as Liver- 

 pool ; and the short line by Coventry, being 153 miles 

 from London to Shrewsbury, was selected as the one to be 

 improved to the utmost. Down to 1819 the road between 

 London and Coventry was in a very bad state, being so 

 laid as to become a heavy slough in wet weather. There 

 were also many steep hills to be cut down, in some parts 

 of deep clay, in others deep sand. A mail-coach had been 

 tried to Banbury ; but the road below Aylesbury was so 

 bad, that the Post-Office authorities were obliged to give 

 it up. The twelve miles from Towcester to Daventry 



