Figure 1.-- Of course railroads have by definition only limited numbers of staions. This limiyation and the need to to each the end user mans that you need roads and vehiles of some kind to make this final connection. This is a scene at Kirkstone Pass, a senice site in the Lake District. In the back you can see a kind of horse-pulled tourist coach. The photigraph was taken in 1914. This was the point that trucks with gasline motors apperared. Most carts. waggons. and coached, however, were still horse drawn.

Land transport through most of human history was minimal. The vast proportion of humanity was born and died within a few miles. England was not an exceoption. The only serious road building occurred during the Roman era (43–410 AD) The Romans built and incredable 2,000 miles of road between the towns and cities that they they established. They were built for military purposes, but had major economic value. Much of the traffic on Roman roads would have been foot traffic and ox-drawn carts. Only the ruich had horses. And most of the Roman legions were infantry on foot. The Roman roads were so well built that roads, such as Fosse Way (Devon to Lincoln) and Watling Street (London to Shropshire) were used for centuries after the Legions departed (410 AD). Many British highways today follow the original Roman roads. The Roman roads were built to last, but not for a millennium. They slowly distengrated. Land transport continued to be a major problem well into the modern era. Roads were largely undeveloped and almost entirely unimproved. They were dangerous places plagued with highwaymen. There is a substantial list of noted highwaymen. William Davies (1627-89) akso known as the Goldren or Jolly Farmer. He robbed the rich for 40 years. Jerry Abershawe (1773-95) was the last executed English highwayman to have his body put on public display. They tended to be tracks farmers used bringing their animals and produce to the Market. As a result they were clustered around the major cities. Roads wconnectuing citues becane problematic at any distance from the cities. Dicken's stories are full of illustrations of farmers walking their geese to markets. Ox carts carries heavy loads. There were horse-pulled coaches, but they were slow and bone rattling. The stage coaches we all associate with the West were actually developed in Europe. They could transport people, but not any substantial quantity of goods. Any serious road building did not begin again until the 18th century. By the 1830s, over 20,000 miles of road have been turn piked and many surfaces improved. John Macadam, played a prominent role in this priocess. His roads were covered with layers of compacted stone. There were tretches of road overseen by by trustees and funded and maintained by tolls. It was uin the 1830s, however, that Britain began fiocusing on the railroads and less attebntion was given ti the highway system.

Created: 12:18 PM 7/29/2023
Last updated: 12:18 PM 7/29/2023