THE OLD COACHING ROADS. 49 



or more.' Other tolls were fixed for the narrower 

 fellies, being four and a half inches or less. The tolls, 

 were fixed on the horses — being, in fact, sixpence for 

 every horse drawing any coach, chaise, or other like 

 vehicle, whereas the amount on each horse drawing 

 the broad-wheeled waggon was only twopence. The 

 object in assessing the toll was evidently to make the 

 vehicles doing the greatest amount of damage to the 

 road pay the highest amount. That great exertions 

 were made to render the Holyhead Koad available in 

 every respect for a large and expeditious traffic over 

 it, is manifest from the very large sums expended, 

 upon it, for in the year 1841 the trustees of difi'erent 

 parts of the road between London and Shrewsbury 

 had at various times between the years 1825 and 

 1831 received advances out of the Consolidated Fund 

 amounting to no less than £83,700 ; and as these 

 advances were only made for 'improvements,' the 

 annual expenses of repair had to be paid out of the 

 tolls. 



Could some of the old coachmen and guards who 

 used to travel on the road rise out of their graves, 

 great would be their astonishment to see its con- 

 dition now, with grass growing actually on the parts 

 over which they used to drive, only a narrow space 

 in the centre being kept in repair, and used by 

 the few carts and other light vehicles passing along 



4 



