Part 1

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THE HOLYHEAD ROAD

THE HOLYHEAD ROAD:/ THE MAIL-COACH ROAD TO DUBLIN

By CHARLES G. HARPER

Author of “_The Brighton Road_,” “_The Portsmouth Road_,” “_The Dover Road_,” “_The Bath Road_,” “_The Exeter Road_,” “_The Great North Road_,” and “_The Norwich Road_”

_Illustrated by the Author, and from Old-Time Prints and Pictures_

_Vol. I. LONDON TO BIRMINGHAM_

LONDON: CHAPMAN & HALL LTD. 1902

[_All rights reserved_]

_“The olden days of travelling, now to return no more, in which distance could not be vanquished without toil_”—_those are the days mourned by Ruskin, who had little better acquaintance with them than afforded by his childish journeys, when his father, a prosperous wine-merchant, travelled the country in a carriage with a certain degree of style. Regrets are, under such circumstances, easily to be understood, just as were those of the old coach-proprietors, innkeepers, coachmen, postboys, and all who depended upon road-travel for their existence; but few among travellers who lived in the days when the change was made from road to rail had feelings of that kind, else railways would not have proved so immediately successful. It has been left for a later era to discover the charm and rosy glamour of old road-faring days, a charm not greatly insisted upon in the literature of those times, which, instead of being rich in praise of the road, is fruitful in accounts of the miseries of travel. Pepys, on the Portsmouth Road in 1668, fearful of losing his way at night, as had often happened to him before; Thoresby, in 1714 and later years, on the Great North Road, thanking God that he had reached home safely; Horace Walpole, on the Brighton Road in 1749, finding the roads almost impassable, therefore, and reasonably enough, “a great damper of curiosity”; Arthur Young for years exhausting the vocabulary of abuse on roads in general; and Jeffrey in 1831, at Grantham, looking dismally forward to being snowed up at Alconbury Hill—these are a few instances, among many, which go to prove, if proof were necessary, that travelling was regarded then as a wholly unmitigated evil._

_But, quite apart from such considerations, there is a charm clinging about the bygone and the out-of-date wholly lacking in things contemporary. The Romans who constructed and travelled along their roads could not find in them the interest we discover, and the old posting-houses and inns frequented by our grandfathers must have seemed to them as matter-of-fact as we now think our own railway hotels. It is, indeed, just_ BECAUSE _the old roads and the wayside inns are superseded by the rail and the modern hotel, and because they are altogether removed from the everyday vulgarity of use and competition, that they have assumed their romantic aspect, together with that which now surrounds the slow and inconvenient coaches and the harmful unnecessary highwayman, long since become genuine antiques and puppets for the historical novelist to play with._

_The_ HOLYHEAD ROAD, _in its long course towards the Irish Sea, holds much of this old romance, and not a little of a newer sort. Cities whose history goes back to the era of the Saxons who first gave this highway the name of “Watling Street,” lie along these many miles; and other cities and towns there are whose fame and fortunes are of entirely modern growth. Some have decayed, more have sprung into vigorous life, and, in answer to the demand that arose, a hundred years ago, for improved roads, the old highway itself was remodelled, in the days that are already become distant._

_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

THE HOLYHEAD ROAD

LONDON TO BIRMINGHAM

MILES London (General Post Office) to— Islington (the “Angel”) 1¼ Highgate Archway 4¼ East End, Finchley 5¾ Brown’s Wells, Finchley Common (“Green Man”) 7 North Finchley: “Tally-ho Corner” 7½ Whetstone 9¼ Greenhill Cross 10¼ Barnet 11¼ South Mimms 14½ Ridge Hill 16 London Colney (Cross River Colne.) 17½ St. Albans (“Peahen”) 20¾ Redbourne 25 Friar’s Wash 27½ Markyate 29 Dunstable 33½ Hockliffe 37½ Sheep Lane 41 Little Brickhill 45 Fenny Stratford (Cross River Ousel.) 48 Stony Stratford 52¼ Old Stratford (Cross River Ouse.) 52¾ Potterspury 55 Havencote Houses 59 Towcester (“Pomfret Arms”) (Cross River Towe.) 60¼ Foster’s Booth (Cross River Nen.) 64 Weedon Beck (Watling Street branches off from Holyhead Road.) 68 Dodford 68¾ Daventry 72½ Braunston 75¾ Willoughby 77 Dunchurch 80¼ Ryton-on-Dunsmore (Cross River Avon.) 84½ Willenhall (Cross River Sow.) 88¾ Coventry (“King’s Head”) 91¼ Allesley 93¾ Meriden 97 Stonebridge (Cross River Tame.) 100 Bickenhill 101½ Elmdon 102¼ Wells Green 104 Yardley 105¼ Hay Mills 106¼ Small Heath 106¾ Bordesley 108 Deritend 108½ Birmingham (General Post Office) 109¼

THE WATLING STREET, FROM WEEDON BECK TO OAKENGATES AND KETLEY

MILES Weedon Beck to— Watford Gap 5½ Crick Railway Station 9 Lilbourne 12½ Catthorpe Five Houses 12¾ Cave’s Inn 14¼ Gibbet (Cross River Swift.) 15 Cross-in-Hand 17¼ Willey Railway-crossing 18 Wibtoft 20 High Cross 21 Smockington 22 Caldecote 30 Witherley (Cross River Anker.) 31½ Mancetter 32 Atherstone 32½ Baddesley Ensor 36 Dordon 36½ Stony Delph 39 Wilnecote (Cross River Tame.) 39½ Fazeley 40¼ Hints 42¾ Weeford 44½ (Cross-road, Lichfield to Coleshill) 44¾ (Cross-road, Lichfield to Birmingham) 46¼ Wall 47¼ Muckley Corner 48¼ Hammerwich 49½ Brownhills 51 Wyrley Bank 54¾ “Four Crosses,” Hatherton 57 Gailey Railway Station (L. & N. W. R.) (Cross River Penk.) 59¾ Horsebrook and Stretton 61½ Ivetsey Bank (“Bradford Arms”) 65 Weston-under-Lizard 67 Crackley Bank 69½ St. George’s (Pain’s Lane Chapel) 72½ Oakengates 73¾ Ketley Railway Station 75¼

[Click anywhere on map for high resolution image.]

I

“Peace hath its victories, no less renowned than war;” and there is nothing more remarkable than the engineering triumphs that land the Irish Member of Parliament, fresh from the Division Lobby at Westminster, at North Wall, Dublin, spouting treason, in nine hours and a quarter, or bring the Irish peasant, with the reek of the peat-smoke still in his clothes, and the mud of his native bogs not yet dried on his boots, to Euston in the same space of time.

But a hundred years ago, when the peaceful labours of the engineer had not begun to annihilate space and time, and the Union of Great Britain and Ireland had only just been effected, no such ready transit was possible, and our great-grandfathers reckoned their journeys between the two capitals in days instead of hours. The Holyhead Road, known to our fathers and ourselves, was not in existence; and Liverpool (and even Parkgate, near Chester) was as often the point of embarkation for Ireland as Holyhead. The journey from London to Dublin was then of uncertain length, determined by such fluctuating conditions as the season of the year, the condition of the roads, and the winds of St. George’s Channel—sometimes smooth, but more often stormy.

What the road was, and what it became, shall be the business of these pages to relate.

* * * * *

Close upon two hundred years ago, then, when Queen Anne was just dead, and the Elector of Hanover had ascended the throne of England as George I., the way to Holyhead was, in great measure, an affair of individual taste and fancy. Some travellers went by way of Oxford and Worcester, others by Woburn, Northampton, Lutterworth, Stafford, Nantwich, and Chester; some kept the route now known as the Holyhead Road as far as Stonebridge, on the other side of Coventry, and thence by Castle Bromwich and Aldridge Heath; others followed it past Shrewsbury and turned off at Chirk for Wrexham; while others yet had their own preferences, and reached Holyhead goodness knows how—themselves, perhaps, least of all. Those were the times when, as Pennant tells us, the hardy country gentlemen rode horseback. Thickly wrapped in riding cloaks, and with jack-boots up to their hips, they splashed through mud and mire, making light of occasional falls, and so journeyed between London and Holyhead in perhaps six days, if they were both active and fortunate. Those travellers commonly rode post-horses, changing their mounts at well-known stages on the way. The system took its origin from the establishment of postmasters by the Post Office in 1635, when the charge for an able horse was 2½_d._ a mile. None but duly authorised persons were then permitted to supply horses. In 1658, according to an advertisement in the _Mercurius Politicus_, the mileage had become 3_d._ As time went on this monopoly was abolished, and most innkeepers supplied horses for those hardy riders who despised the newfangled coaches. The earliest mention of a coach on this road is found in the above-named paper, under date of April 9th, 1657: “For the convenient accommodation of passengers from and betwixt London and West Chester, there is provided several stage-coaches, which go from the George Inn, without Aldersgate, upon every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday—to Coventry in two days, for twenty-five shillings; to Stone in three days, for thirty shillings; and to Chester in four days, for thirty-five shillings; and from thence do return upon the same days, which is performed with much ease to the passengers, having fresh horses once a day.”

It may shrewdly be surmised that, as the Chester coach of 1739, mentioned by Pennant, did not succeed in performing the journey under six days, the coach of 1657 did not find it possible to do it in four; and this suspicion seems warranted by an advertisement in the _Mercurius Politicus_ of March 24th, 1659, probably emanating from the same persons:—

“These are to give notice, that from the George Inn, without Aldersgate, goes every Monday and Thursday a coach and four able horses, to carry passengers to Chester in five days, likewise to Coventry, Cosell (Coleshill), Cank, Litchfield, Stone, or to Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Shrewsbury, Newport, Whitchurch, and Holywell, at reasonable rates, by us, who have performed it two years.

“WILLIAM DUNSTAN. “HENRY EARLE. “WILLIAM FOWLER.”

It will be observed that an alternative route, through Birmingham, is announced, probably to suit the wishes of those who might chance to book seats. The travelling was by no means comfortable, and in 1663 a young gentleman is found writing to his father: “I got to London on Saturday last; my journey was noe way pleasant, being forced to ride in the boote all the way. The company that came up with me were persons of greate qualitie, as knightes and ladyes. This travell hath soe indisposed mee, that I am resolved never to ride up again in the coatch.” He probably rode post ever afterwards.

In 1681 a coach was running (or crawling) between London and Shrewsbury, by way of Newport Pagnell. Sir William Dugdale, travelling by it from London to Coleshill, says: “The first night we stopped at Woburn, the second at Hill Morton, near Rugby, and on the third we proceeded to Coleshill.” Thence it went along the old Chester Road to Aldridge Heath and Brownhills, and by the Watling Street from that point to Wellington. This Shrewsbury stage was robbed on January 30th, 1703, in the neighbourhood of Brownhills, by a gang of men and women, who, after they had plundered the passengers, met three county attorneys, whom they also robbed. One of the attorneys had what is described as a “porte mantel.” In it, among other things, was a pair of shoes, in which the owner had hidden twenty guineas. The thieves threw the shoes away, and when they had departed he happily regained this most valuable portion of his luggage. Other wayfarers were not so fortunate on encountering this hybrid gang of desperadoes; for, ten days later, when two drovers, fresh from Newcastle Fair, with bags of money in their pockets, came jogging along the road, they were set upon and robbed. One was killed and the other dangerously wounded. Two days after this exploit, growing bolder, the gang attacked the High Sheriff of Staffordshire, with his lady and servants, coming from Lichfield Fair, took sixty guineas, and cut off one of the servants’ hands. This was too impudent: the country was scoured, and these murderous ruffians seized. They numbered nine in all, and of them three were women dressed in men’s clothes.