ROAD. 



lies evenly upon the wheek on either fide. In propor- 

 tion as the weight is thrown on one fide or the other, the 

 refiftance is increafed ; efpecially on the road which is liable 

 to impreflion. Hence the inconvenience of a highly convex 

 road in the face of a deep ; and hence the utility of breaks 

 in long afcents, or fuch roads as are formed in hilly 

 fituations. 



In fac\, he conceives it evident in refpeft to convexity, 

 that every part of a road fhould be equally and duly convex, 

 — mould be equally fafe and eafy for carriages of every de- 

 fcription ; otherwife it becomes partially worn ; the more 

 level parts only are ufed ; the deeper being in a degree ufe- 

 lefs. Hence a road of even and due convexity is not only 

 eafy and fafe, but may be formed of a narrower width, than 

 one' whofe deep fides are neither eafy nor fafe to be tra- 

 velled ; and whofe crown, only, is in ufe for paffing upon. 

 And on meafuring different pafl'ages of roads which ap- 

 peared to lie in the mod defirable form, and taking their 

 convexity, or the elevation of the crown or middle of the 

 road above the bafe line, he has found that roads of twenty 

 feet in width rife about ten inches : namely, one inch in 

 every foot, on either fide. And he is of opinion that this 

 refult may be taken as a general guide in forming roads : 

 this middle degree of convexity being bable to be altered 

 according to the width of the road, the nature of the 

 materials, and other circumdances which have been dated 

 already. 



And concerning the fecond or concave form of roads, 

 Mr. Beatfon thinks that it is quite the reverfe of the com- 

 mon form, being lowed in the middle, where other roads 

 are generally made highed. By differing fo widely from 

 the common practice, and the general opinion of road makers, 

 one would at fird be almod inclined to fuppofe, that fo An- 

 gular a practice in forming roads could only proceed from 

 a defire or propenfity to differ from the red of mankind : 

 but when we are told that the late celebrated and ingenious 

 Mr. Bakewell was an advocate for this form ; that the road 

 by his farm of Difhly, and that through Mediam, in the 

 fame county, are both upon this principle, and in much 

 better order than the roads found about them ; likewife that 

 the road through Bredon, made under the direction of Mr. 

 Wilkes, is of the fame form, and is faid to be better now 

 than ever remembered before, and kept in order at much 

 lefs expence : — when we confider thefe well authenticated 

 fafts, fupported by fuch refpeftable evidence, we naturally 

 conclude that the reafons for adopting this uncommon form 

 of road, are founded on fomething more fubdantial than 

 mere whim and caprice ; and confequently deferve to be more 

 fully invedigated. This writer dates, that he has not been 

 able to learn the manner of forming thefe kinds of roads 

 before the hard materials are lai'd on, but, when completed, 

 he underdands the form is fomething firailar to that of a 

 paved dreet, with a drain for the water in the middle. The 

 whole width of the road is divided into three equal parts, or 

 nearly fo. The fides are made quite flat. The middle divifion 

 has a gradual but fmall defcent, or concavity, from each 

 fide to the middle part, which is the middle of the road. 

 This concavity has alfo a fmall defcent lengthways, made 

 on purpofe, if not declining naturally, fufficient to carry 

 off the water to proper outlets. In the middle divifion the 

 bed and harded materials are laid. The direction of Mr. 

 Wilkes, as dated in an ingeni»u6 paper, in the fird volume 

 of Communications to the Board of Agriculture, is, that 

 when the fall is one foot in 150 or 200 feet forward, the 

 fall from the fides towards the middle ought to be 15 inches 

 in 20 feet. When one foot in 100 to 150, to be 12 inches. 

 One foot in 30 or lefs, to be even the whole breadth. 



Where the width of a road is 60 feet, one foot of fall to 

 each 40 feet in length of the road. Twenty feet from the 

 fides towards the middle, to have nine inches of fall. 

 The inner 20 feet to be flat. 



And Mr. Bakewell's idea, he is informed, was, that water, 

 where it can conveniently be applied, fhould frequently be 

 let run upon this concave part, in order to warn it quite 

 clean ; for it is always obferved, where a fmall dream of 

 water comes upon a road, that part, if the bottom is good, 

 is generally firmed, and hardly ever gives way. To have a 

 command of water, therefore, to flood the road at pleafure, 

 he thought would be of great advantage in keeping it in 

 order. And the other ufeful properties attending a road of 

 this form are the following : There are three parts of it on 

 which wheel carriages may go, without heeling to either 

 fide ; on the fide divifions, and alfo on the middle divifion, 

 when the horfes walk in the lowed part. This is certainly 

 a material advantage, being much more eafy for the horfes 

 and lefs injurious to the road. By carriages ufing iudifcri- 

 minately thefe three tracks, all parts of the road will wear 

 more equally and for a greater length of time ; whereas in 

 the convex roads, there being only one part, namely, the 

 middle, on which carriages can go without heeling, that 

 part only is mod generally ufed, and confequently foonelt 

 gets out of repair, which is a great inconvenience in fuch 

 roads. 



With refpeft to flat roads fioping longitudinally, the ad- 

 vocates for them obferve with good reafon, that bv being 

 flat or level from fide to fide, the preffure of wheel car- 

 riages will be more equal, the friftion lefs, and all parts of 

 the road may be travelled en with the fame facility ; confe- 

 quently it will wear more equally, be eafier kept in repnir, 

 and require fewer materials for keeping it up. But not- 

 withdanding fuch advantages are deferving of attention, it 

 mud feem to thofe unaccudomed to fuch a form of roa< 

 difficult matter to keep it fufficiently dry, or free from the 

 dagnation of water upon it. But from its having been ob- 

 ferved that the ruts made by the wheels of carriages prevent 

 the water running to the fides of convex roads, it is pro- 

 pofed that roads of this form (hould have in every level part 

 gentle dopes, fufficient for water to run along, which, iup- 

 pofing them to be one foot in fifty, would hardly be per- 

 ceptible. On thefe Hopes, or inclined planes, the ruts 

 made by the wheels of carriages would promote the water 

 running off, by forming fo many little channels or con- 

 ductors for it to run into the lower part of thefe flopes, 

 from whence it mud be properly conveyed away. By this 

 plan fuch roads will be much more eafily kept dry than the 

 common roads ufually are or can be from the nature of their 

 condruftion. 



And farther, in regard to the wholly flat form of roads, 

 the reafons given for them are nearly the fame as dated in 

 fupport of the lad, only that as there are few parts of a 

 country fo perfectly level, for any considerable didance, that 

 water will not run either one way or another, it is confe- 

 quently unneceffary to be at the expence and trouble of 

 forming thofe Hopes or inclined planes recommended in the 

 preceding form ; but that proper outlets fhould always be 

 kept clear at every hollow part, and if the road (hould in 

 any place be quite level, a fhallow crofs drain, that will oc- 

 casion no impediment to carriages at every 50 or 60 yards 

 didance, or nearer, will keep the road iufficiently dry. 



And it is from thefe datements concluded by Mr. Beat- 

 fon, that the main objefts fought after are, 1. To keep the 

 road always as free from moidure as pofiible ; and 2. To 

 conitruft it in fuch a manner, as to render the draft or 

 communication eafied, at the lead expence. In thefe are 



7 compre- 



