But better than the cities and towns and villages along these two hundred and sixty miles is the scenery, ranging from the quiet pastoral beauties of the Home Counties to the rocks and torrents, the mountains and valleys of North Wales. This road and its story are a very epitome of our island’s scenery and history. History of the larger sort—that tells of the setting up and the putting down of Kings and Princes—has marched in footprints of blood down the road, and left a trail of fire and ashes; but it may well be thought, with one who has written the history of the English people, that the doings of such are not all the story: that the village church, the mill by the riverside, the drowsy old town, “the tolls of the market-place, the brasses of its burghers in the church, the names of its streets, the lingering memory of its guilds, the mace of its mayor, tell us more of the past of England than the spire of Sarum or the martyrdom of Canterbury.”
CHARLES G. HARPER.
Petersham,
Surrey,
April 1902.
List of Illustrations
| SEPARATE PLATES | |
|---|---|
| PAGE | |
| The “Wonder,” London and Shrewsbury Coach. (From a Print after J. Pollard) | [Frontispiece] |
| Sketch-map of the Holyhead Road and the Watling Street | [xix] |
| Yard of the “Bull and Mouth,” St. Martin’s-le-Grand. (From an old Print) | [13] |
| “Tally-ho” and “Independent Tally-ho,” London and Birmingham Coaches, nearing London, 1828. (From a Print after J. Pollard) | [25] |
| The “Angel,” Islington. Mail Coaches and Illuminations on Night of the King’s Birthday, 1812. (From a Print after J. Pollard) | [41] |
| Highgate Archway and the Turnpike Gate, 1823. (From an Old Print) | [45] |
| Highgate Archway: Mail Coach nearing London. (From a Print after J. Pollard) | [51] |
| The “Woodman,” Finchley, 1834: Coventry and Birmingham Coach passing. (From a Print after J. Pollard) | [55] |
| Highgate Village, 1826. (From an Old Print) | [59] |
| The Old Road, Barnet | [67] |
| The Old Road, Ridge Hill | [99] |
| The Great Snowstorm, Dec. 26th, 1836. The Liverpool Mail passing Two Ladies snowed up on Ridge Hill in their Chariot, without Horses, the Postboy having ridden to St. Albans for fresh ones. (From a Print after J. Pollard) | [103] |
| St. Albans Cathedral | [109] |
| St. Peter’s Street and Town Hall, St. Albans, 1826. (From an Old Print) | [117] |
| Dunstable Downs | [147] |
| The “White Horse,” Hockliffe | [153] |
| The Great Snowstorm, Dec. 26th, 1836. The Birmingham Mail fast in the Snow, with little chance of a speedy release: the Guard proceeding to London with the Letter-bags. (From a Print after J. Pollard) | [159] |
| Stony Stratford | [173] |
| Daventry Market-place | [235] |
| Dunchurch | [255] |
| Ford’s Hospital | [275] |
| The Old “King’s Head,” Coventry. (From a Print after Rowlandson) | [295] |
| Coventry, from Windmill Hill. (After J. M. W. Turner, R.A.) | [299] |
| The Liverpool Mail, 1836. (From a Print after J. Pollard) | [309] |
| ILLUSTRATIONS IN TEXT | |
| Vignette: Ogilby’s Dimensurator | [Title Page] |
| Preface | [vii] |
| List of Illustrations | [xi] |
| The Holyhead Road: Ogilby’s Survey | [1] |
| Clark’s Steam Carriage, 1832. (From an Old Print) | [33] |
| The New Highgate Archway | [48] |
| James Ripley, Ostler of the “Red Lion” | [76] |
| Hadley Green: Winter | [80] |
| South Minims | [92] |
| London Colney | [101] |
| Entrance to St. Albans | [105] |
| Market-place, St. Albans | [114] |
| The “George” | [120] |
| The “Fighting Cocks” | [123] |
| St. Michael’s | [129] |
| Mad Tom in Bedlam | [132] |
| Mad Tom at Liberty | [133] |
| Redbourne Church | [134] |
| Redbourne | [135] |
| Dunstable Priory Church | [144] |
| Little Brickhill | [165] |
| Yard of the “George” | [166] |
| Queen’s Oak | [176] |
| Market-place, Stony Stratford | [181] |
| The “Blue Ball” | [183] |
| Lilbourne | [206] |
| Cross-in-hand | [209] |
| High Cross Monument | [210] |
| The Watling Street, near Hammerwich | [219] |
| The “Four Crosses,” near Hatherton | [222] |
| Boscobel and the “Royal Oak” | [227] |
| Town Seal, Daventry | [238] |
| Braunston Hill | [239] |
| Braunston | [240] |
| Ashby St. Ledgers | [243] |
| The “Four Crosses,” Willoughby (Demolished 1898) | [245] |
| Lord John Scott’s Statue | [257] |
| Dunsmore Avenue | [260] |
| Knightlow Cross | [264] |
| The Three Spires | [269] |
| Peeping Tom | [273] |
| The “Old Ordinary” | [285] |
| The old “Bull’s Head,” Meriden | [304] |
| Meriden Cross | [306] |