Chapter I: Front Matter

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THE BATH ROAD

* * * * *

WORKS BY THE SAME AUTHOR.

THE BRIGHTON ROAD: Old Times and New on a Classic Highway.

THE PORTSMOUTH ROAD, and its Tributaries, To-day, and in Days of Old.

THE DOVER ROAD: Annals of an Ancient Turnpike.

THE EXETER ROAD: The Story of the West of England Highway. [_In the Press._

* * * * *

THE BATH ROAD

History, Fashion, & Frivolity on an Old Highway

by

CHARLES G. HARPER

Author of "The Brighton Road," "The Portsmouth Road," "The Dover Road," &c. &c.

Illustrated by the Author, and from Old Prints and Pictures

London: Chapman & Hall, Limited 1899 (_All Rights Reserved_)

Printed by William Clowes and Sons, Limited, London and Beccles.

TO E. T. COOK, ESQ.

_Dear Mr. Cook,_

_It was by your favour, as Editor of the_ DAILY NEWS, _that the very gist of this book first saw the light, in the form of two articles in the columns of that paper. It seems, then, peculiarly appropriate that these pages--representing, in the measurements common to journalists and authors, a growth from four thousand to some sixty thousand words--should be inscribed to yourself._

_Sincerely yours_,
CHARLES G. HARPER.

_Preface_

_This, the fourth volume in a series of books having for its object the preservation of so much of the Story of the Roads as may be interesting to the reading public, has been completed after considerable delay. The_ DOVER ROAD, _which preceded the present work, was published so long ago as the close of 1895, and in that book the_ BATH ROAD _was (prematurely, it should seem, indeed) described as "In the Press." Attention is drawn to the fact, partly in order to point out how quickly and how surely the old-time aspects of the roads are disappearing; for, since the_ BATH ROAD _has been in progress, no fewer than four of the old inns pictured in these pages have disappeared, while great stretches of the road, once rural, have become suburban, and suburban streets have been so altered that they are in no wise distinguishable from those of town. It is because they will preserve the appearance and the memory of buildings that have had their day and are now being swept off the face of the earth, that it is hoped these volumes will find a welcome with those who care to cherish something of the records of a day that is done._

CHARLES G. HARPER.

PETERSHAM, SURREY,
_February, 1899_.

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

SEPARATE PLATES

PAGE

1. GEORGE THE THIRD TRAVELLING FROM WINDSOR TO LONDON,
1806. (_After R. B. Davis_) Frontispiece.

2. COACHING MISERIES. (_After Rowlandson_) 7

3. PASSENGERS REFRESHED AFTER A LONG DAY'S JOURNEY.
(_After Rowlandson_) 13

4. THE "WHITE BEAR," PICCADILLY 23

5. ALLEN'S STALL AT HYDE PARK CORNER, ABOUT 1756 35

6. HYDE PARK CORNER, 1797 41

7. KENSINGTON HIGH STREET, SUMMER SUNSET 47

8. COLNBROOK, A DECAYED COACHING TOWN 101

9. AN ENGLISH ROAD 125

10. MAIDENHEAD THICKET 131

11. THE STAGE WAGGON. (_After Rowlandson_) 139

12. THEALE 143

13. WOOLHAMPTON 147

14. RAIL AND RIVER: THE KENNET AND THE GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY 151

15. AT THE 55TH MILESTONE 155

16. HUNGERFORD 169

17. MARLBOROUGH 189

18. FYFIELD 195

19. MARLBOROUGH DOWNS, NEAR WEST OVERTON 199

20. THE WHITE HORSE, CHERHILL 207

21. THE OLD MARKET HOUSE, CHIPPENHAM 211

22. BOX VILLAGE 225

23. BATHAMPTON MILL 229

24. PRIOR PARK 247

25. BATH ABBEY: THE WEST FRONT 261

26. THE ROMAN BATH, RESTORED 265

ILLUSTRATIONS IN TEXT

Old Village Lock-up, Cranford (_Title-page_)

Sign of the "White Bear," now at Fickles Hole 25

The "White Horse" Inn, Fetter Lane. Demolished 1898 30

Courtyard of the "Old Bell," Holborn. Demolished 1897 32

Hyde Park Corner, 1786 37

Hyde Park Corner, 1792 39

The "Halfway House," 1848 43

"Oldest Inhabitant" 50

Thackeray's House, Young Street 54

The "White Horse." Traditional Retreat of Addison 55

The "Red Cow," Hammersmith. Demolished 1897 57

Robin Hood and Little John 64

The "Old Windmill" 65

The "Old Pack Horse" 67

Kew Bridge, Low Water 69

Cottages, supposed to have been the Haunts of Dick Turpin 72

A Bath Road Pump 85

The "Berkeley Arms" 86

Cranford House 88

The "Old Magpies" 90

The "Gothic Barn," Harmondsworth 95

Old Flail, Harmondsworth 96

The County Boundary 98

Almshouses, Langley 104

The Stolen Fountain 105

Windsor Castle, from the Road near Slough 106

The "Bell and Bottle" Sign 133

Palmer's Statue 135

Thatcham 149

Inscription, Newbury Church 157

Old Cloth Hall, Newbury 160

The last of the Smock-frocks and Beavers 164

Curious old Toll-house 165

Hungerford Tutti-men 171

Littlecote 176

The Haunted Chamber 178

Roadside Inn, Manton 194

Avebury 201

Silbury Hill 202

Cross Keys 218

The Hungerford Almshouse, Corsham Regis 221

Entrance to Box Quarries 224

The Sun God 233

Roman inscribed tablet 235

The Batheaston Vase 242

"Sham Castle" 249

Old Pulteney Bridge 253

Illustrations to Old Advertisements 258, 259

THE ROAD TO BATH

London (Hyde Park Corner) to-- MILES

Kensington--
St. Mary Abbots 1-3/4
Addison Road 2-1/2

Hammersmith 3-1/4

Turnham Green 5

Brentford--
Star Gates 6
Town Hall (cross River Brent and Grand Junction Canal) 7

Isleworth (Railway Station) 8-1/2

Hounslow (Trinity Church) 9-3/4

Cranford Bridge (cross River Crane) 12-1/4

Harlington Corner 13

Longford (cross River Colne) 15-1/4

Colnbrook (cross River Colne) 17

Langley Broom ("King William IV." Inn) 18-1/2

Slough ("Crown" Hotel) 20-1/2

Salt Hill 21-1/4

Maidenhead (cross River Thames) 26

Littlewick 29-1/4

Knowl Hill 31

Hare Hatch 32-1/4

Twyford (cross River Loddon) 34

Reading (cross River Kennet) 39

Calcot Green 41-1/2

Theale 44

Woolhampton 49-1/4

Thatcham (cross River Lambourne) 52-3/4

Speenhamland}
} 55-3/4
Newbury }

Church Speen 56-3/4

Hungerford (cross River Kennet) 64-1/2

Froxfield (cross River Kennet) 67

Marlborough 74-1/2

Fyfield 77

Overton 78

West Kennet (cross River Kennet) 79-1/4

Beckhampton Inn 81

Cherhill 84

Quemerford (cross tributary of River Marden) 86-1/4

Calne (cross River Calne) 87-1/4

Black Dog Hill 88-3/4

Derry Hill (Swan Inn) 90-3/4

Chippenham (cross River Avon) 93-1/4

Cross Keys 96-1/2

Pickwick ("Hare and Hounds" Inn) 97-1/4

Box 100-1/4

Batheaston 103-1/2

Walcot 104-1/2

Bath (G. P. O.) 105-3/4

The BATH ROAD