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Her Majesty's Mails
·
William Lewins
54
In
the
provinces,
though
considerable
advances
had
been
made
in
this
respect
during
the
century,
travelling
was
still
exceedingly
difficult.
In
1640,
perhaps
the
Dover
Road,
owing
to
the
great
extent
of
continental
traffic
constantly
kept
up,
was
the
best
in
England;
yet
three
or
four
days
were
usually
taken
to
travel
it.
In
that
year,
Queen
Henrietta
and
household
were
brought
"with
expedition"
over
that
short
distance
in
four
long
days.
Short
journeys
were
accomplished
in
a
reasonable
time,
inasmuch
as
little
entertainment
was
required.
It
was
different
when
a
long
journey
was
contemplated,
seeing
how
generally
wretched
were
the
hostelries
of
the
period.[26]
So
bad,
again,
were
some
of
the
roads,
that
it
was
not
at
all
uncommon,
when
a
family
intended
to
travel,
for
servants
to
be
sent
on
beforehand
to
investigate
the
country
and
report
upon
the
most
promising
track.
Fuller
tells
us
that
during
his
time
he
frequently
saw
as
many
as
six
oxen
employed
in
dragging
slowly
a
single
person
to
church.
Waylen
says
that
800
horses
were
taken
prisoners
at
one
time
during
the
civil
wars
by
Cromwell's
forces,
"while
sticking
in
the
mud."
Many
improvements
were
made
in
modes
of
conveyance
during
the
century.
A
kind
of
stage-coach
was
first
used
in
London
about
1608;
towards
the
middle
of
the
century
they
were
gradually
adopted
in
the
metropolis,
and
on
the
better
highways
around
London.
In
no
case,
however,
did
they
attempt
to
travel
at
a
greater
speed
than
three
miles
an
hour.
Before
the
century
closed,
stage-coaches
were
placed
on
three
of
the
principal
roads
in
the
kingdom,
namely
those
between
London
and
York,
Chester,
and
Exeter.
This
was
only
for
the
summer
season;
"during
winter,"
in
the
words
of
Mr.
Smiles,
"they
did
not
run
at
all,
but
were
laid
up
for
the
season,
like
ships
during
Arctic
frosts."
Sometimes
the
roads
were
so
bad,
even
in
summer,
that
it
was
all
the
horses
could
do
to
drag
the
coach
along,
the
passengers,
per
force,
having
to
walk
for
miles
together.
With
the
York
coach
especially
the
difficulties
were
really
formidable.
Not
only
were
the
roads
bad,
but
the
low
midland
counties
were
particularly
liable
to
floods,
when,
during
their
prevalence,
it
was
nothing
unusual
for
passengers
to
remain
at
some
town
en
route
for
days
together,
until
the
roads
were
dry.
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