Figure 1.--Here we see a half-day charabanc excursion about to set out for Llanggollen for a tour of the beautiful Dee valley of northern Wales and the the Berwyn Hills--an impressive mountain range and moorland area. Notice the side doors and how the family dog is allowed. You can tell that family groups are involved because so mny children were involved. Notice how the boys are all wearing school caps--the sandard headwear.

The railways got people to the main cities and towns, but not to specific venues like battlefielfs parks, stately homes, senic areas, senic sites, ect. Thus there were a range of excursions abailablr from tourist centers. These were full and half day trips which may have multiple stops and include a lunch. For this the tourists were on their own. Few people had cars. An early option after the railways made inexpensive transportation possible, was the charabanc. This permited excursions available one the people got to tourist areas. The charabanc was a type of horse-drawn vehicle, commonly open-topped and sometimes at first open at the side. Britain can be quite rainy so the charabanc were commonly equipped with a foldable top which could be deployed in case of rain showers. They became popular in Britain during the late-19th century. There were basic benched seats arranged in rows, with the riders looking forward. They were popular for work outings suitable for family groups. These were used for tourists offering excursions to see local sites. With the advent of in expensive motor vehicles we begin to see them being converted (1910s). Yhis alloed for larger groups, lowering the ciosr. They continued to be popular (1920s), The group here is a good example, but were replaced by more comfortable busses (1930s). These reasonably priced excursions with buses are still popular in tourist areas. We also begin to see youth group excursuion, primarily Boy Scouts and Girl Guides. We see countless school and youth through groips trapsing through museums that began to open in the mid-19th century. The Victoria and Albert (1852) was not the first nuseum, but it was a notable early museum arising from the Great Exhibition.

Created: 6:34 PM 5/8/2022
Last updated: 9:44 AM 6/10/2024