116 
MISCELLANEA. 
ENGLISH ROADS IN THE LAST CENTURY. 
De Foe, in 1724, thus describes the roads of Sussex: — 
“ Sometimes I have seen one tree on a carriage, which they 
call here a tug, drawn by two-and-twenty oxen ; and even 
then this carried so little away, and then thrown down and 
left for other tugs to take up and carry on, that sometimes it 
is two or three years before it gets to Chatham ; for if once 
the rain comes in it stirs no more that year, and sometimes a 
whole summer is not dry enough to make the roads passable/' 
And again, — “ Going to church at a country village not far 
from Lewes I saw an ancient lady — and a lady of very good 
quality I assure you — drawn to church in her coach with six 
oxen ; nor was it done in frolic or humour, but mere neces- 
sity, the way being so stiff and deep that no horses could go 
in it.” So late as 1767, Arthur Young speaks in this way of 
an Essex road to Tilbury : — <c Of all the cursed roads that 
ever disgraced this kingdom in the very ages of barbarism, 
none ever equalled that from Billericay to the King’s Head 
at Tilbury. It is for near ten miles so narrow that a mouse 
cannot pass by any carriage. I saw a fellow creep under his 
waggon to assist me to lift, if possible, my chaise over a 
hedge. The ruts are of an incredible depth, and a pavement of 
diamonds might as well be sought for as a quarter. The trees 
everywhere overgrow the road, so that it is totally impervious * 
to the sun except at a few places. And, to add to the in- 
famous circumstances that continually occur to plague a 
traveller, I must not forget the eternally meeting with chalk- 
waggons, themselves frequently stuck fast till a collection of 
them are in the same situation, and twenty or thirty horses 
may be tacked to each other to draw them out one by one. 
After this description will you, can you believe me, when I 
tell you that a turnpike w 7 as much solicited for by some gen- 
tlemen to lead from Chelmsford to the fort at Tilbury Fort, 
but opposed by the bruins of this country, whose horses are 
torn to pieces w 7 ith bringing chalk through these vile roads ; 
and yet in this tract are found farmers who cultivate above a 
thousand (pounds) [acres ?] a year, but are perfectly con- 
tented with their roads.” 
