3i6 THE COACHING AGE. 



gether. Another advantage gained by the alteration, 

 was an improvement in the entrance to the town, that 

 was formerly by a narrow street known as Church 

 Street, which at the London end had a house the upper 

 part of which projected over the pavement, so that if 

 the wheels of a coach just cleared it, an outside pas- 

 senger could barely escape coming in contact with 

 the building ; and there was scarcely room for two 

 carriages to pass in this street, which was the main 

 thoroughfare for aU the traffic from London and 

 intermediate places — as Oxford, Cheltenham, and 

 Gloucester — to South "Wales. 



By running his coach through Coleford and Mitchel- 

 dean, Mills had the road all to himself, and I believe 

 he made a very good thing of it. 



The distance to be travelled not being great, and 

 the passengers persons whose time was not very 

 valuable, the wear and tear of his. stock was incon- 

 siderable ; . but if time had to be made up, and whip- 

 cord was required to be brought into play, he 

 was fully capable of administering it, being a strong, 

 powerful man ; and I believe some of the coach - 

 proprietors for whom he, afterwards drove on other 

 roads, thought he was rather too free in the use 

 of it. 



He afterwards drove, on the lower ground from 

 Newbury to Bristol, the ' Monarch ' night-coach ; and 



