SHOCKING STATE OF ENGLISH ROADS. 51 



coach, as early as 1659, but stage-coaches were run 

 from London to Dover by way of the old Roman road, 

 Watling Street. Coaches were then advertised to start, 

 "God willing," and "about such and such an hour, 

 as may seem good to the majority of the passengers." 



Consequently, travelling in those days was a very 

 deliberate matter. In the year 1700 it took a week to 

 go from London to York, two days to go from 

 London to Salisbury and Oxford, and five days to 

 reach Exeter ; and it took two days to reach Tun- 

 bridge Wells, which is now only an hour from Charing 

 Cross. 



In past times the state of the roads deprived our 

 own poor in some of the midland counties of England 

 of most of the conveniences of life, especially fuel, as 

 when the extended cultivation had destroyed the 

 forests it was only those who were in close proximity 

 to collieries or peat moors who had anything to burn. 



Even a century and a half ago — 1737 — travelling 

 in carriages except on main roads or near big towns, was 

 almost impossible in winter ; and when wealthy persons 

 travelled from one part of the country to another, they 

 had to have additional horses attached to their 

 carriages to pull them through the mud, and some- 

 times men with spades and pickaxes to clear and 

 prepare the road or dig them out. 



Post-carriages, even on the high-roads, never used 

 to travel at a greater speed than five miles an hour, 

 until mail-coaches were advertised to run at the rate 

 of seven miles, which in those days was considered a 

 marvellous performance. Even at this rate, it took a 

 little over four days to go from London to York. 



Even the roads about London were in a terrible 

 state, and it was not until mail-coaches were better 

 horsed and better built and a spirit of competition was 



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