Chapter I: Front Matter

This eBook was transcribed by Les Bowler.

[Picture: Book cover]

[Picture: The “Highflyer,” 1812]

_The_
GREAT NORTH ROAD

The Old Mail Road to Scotland

_By_ CHARLES G. HARPER

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YORK TO EDINBURGH

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_With_ 77 _Illustrations by the Author_, _and from_
_old-time Prints and Pictures_

[Picture: Old-time Coachman]

London:
CECIL PALMER
OAKLEY HOUSE, BLOOMSBURY STREET, W.C. 1

* * * * *

_First Published in_ 1901.
_Second and Revised Edition_—1922.

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Printed in Great Britain by C. TINLING & Co., LTD.,
53, Victoria Street, Liverpool.
Also at London and Prescot.

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THE GREAT NORTH ROAD YORK TO EDINBURGH

London (General Post Office) to— MILES York 196¾ Clifton 198¼ Rawcliff 200¼ Skelton 201¼ Shipton 202¾ Tollerton Lanes 206½ Easingwold 210¼ White House 211¾ Thormanby 214¼ Birdforth 215 Bagby Common (“Griffin” Inn) 217½ Mile House 218½ Thirsk 220½ South Kilvington 222 Thornton-le-Street 223½ Thornton-le-Moor 224¾ Northallerton 229¼ Lovesome Hill 229¾ Little Smeaton (cross River Wiske) 231¾ Great Smeaton 232¾ High Entercommon 233¾ Dalton-on-Tees 236¾ Croft (cross River Tees) 237¾ Oxneyfield Bridge (cross River Skerne) 238 Darlington 241¾ Harrogate 243½ Coatham Mandeville 245¾ Aycliffe 246¾ Traveller’s Rest 248 Woodham 249¼ Rushyford Bridge 250½ Ferryhill 253 Low Butcher Race and Croxdale 255 Sunderland Bridge 255¾ Browney Bridge (cross River Wear) 256 Durham (cross River Browney) 260 Durham Moor (Framwellgate) 261 Plawsworth 263½ Chester-le-Street 266 Birtley 269 Gateshead Fell 271 Gateshead (cross River Tyne) 273½ Newcastle-on-Tyne 274½ Gosforth 277 Seaton Burn 280¾ Stannington Bridge (cross River Blyth) 284 Stannington 284½ Clifton 286½ Morpeth (cross River Wansbeck) 289¼ Warrener’s House 291¼ Priest’s Bridge 293¼ West Thirston (cross River Coquet) 299¼ Felton 299¾ Newton-on-the Moor 302½ Alnwick (cross River Aln) 308½ Heiferlaw Bank 310 North Charlton 314¾ Warenford 318¾ Belford 323 Detchant Cottages 325¼ Fenwick 328 Haggerston 331 Tweedmouth (cross River Tweed) 337½ Berwick-on-Tweed 338 Lamberton Toll 341 (ENTER SCOTLAND) Greystonelees 343½ Flemington Inn and Burnmouth (cross River Eye) 344 Ayton 346 Houndwood 351¾ Grant’s House 354½ Cockburnspath 358 Dunglass Dene 359¼ Broxburn 363½ Dunbar 365 Belhaven 365¾ Beltonford 367½ Phantassie 370 East Linton 370½ Haddington 376 Gladsmuir 379¾ Macmerry 381½ Tranent 383¾ Musselburgh (cross North Esk River) 387¼ Joppa 389¼ Portobello 390 Jock’s Lodge 391½ Edinburgh 393 _Via_ FERRYBRIDGE, WETHERBY, AND BOROUGHBRIDGE. Doncaster (cross River Don) 162¼ York Bar 164 Red House 167¼ Robin Hood’s Well 169¼ Went Bridge (cross River Went) 172¾ Darrington 174½ Ferrybridge (cross River Aire) 177½ Brotherton 178½ Fairburn 180 Micklefield 184 Aberford 186½ Bramham Moor 186½ Bramham 190¼ Wetherby (cross River Wharfe) 194¼ Kirk Deighton 195¼ Walshford Bridge (cross River Nidd) 197¼ Allerton Park 200¾ Nineveh 202½ Ornham’s Hall 204¼ Boroughbridge (cross River Ure) 206¼ Kirkby Hill 207¼ Dishforth 210½ Asenby 212¼ Topcliffe (cross River Swale) 212¾ Sand Hutton 217 Newsham 219 South Otterington 220¾ North Otterington 222¼ Northallerton 225¼ Edinburgh 389

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

[Picture: Decorative heading]

PAGE The “Highflyer,” 1812 Frontispiece Old York: The Shambles 6 The Walls of York 9 York Castle: Clifford’s Tower 14 York Minster, from the Foss 33 All Saints’ Pavement 41 Jonathan Martin, Incendiary 45 York Minster on Fire 49 Bootham Bar 52 Skelton Church 53 The “Spotted Dog,” Thornton-le-Street 60 York Bar 63 Robin Hood’s Well 64 The Battlefield of Towton and surrounding country 70 Saxton 71 Towton Dale 72 Lead Chapel 74 Ruined Mill overlooking Aberford 76 Barwick-in-Elmete 77 Moor End 80 Nineveh 81 The Edinburgh Express, 1837 85 Croft Bridge 93 Sockburn Falchion 94 “Locomotion” 98 “The Experiment” 99 “I say, fellow, give my buggy a charge of coke, 101 your charcoal is too d—d dear” The Iron Road to the North 105 Traveller’s Rest 108 Rushyford Bridge 109 Ferryhill: The Abandoned Road-Works 111 Merrington Church 113 Road, Rail, and River: Sunderland Bridge 115 Entrance to Durham 117 Durham Cathedral, from Prebend’s Bridge 121 The Sanctuary Knocker 125 Durham Cathedral and Castle from below Framwellgate 127 Bridge Framwellgate Bridge 130 Penshaw Monument 132 The Coal Country 137 A Wayside Halt 138 Travellers arriving at an Inn 145 Modern Newcastle: from Gateshead 153 Old Newcastle: showing the Town Bridge, now 157 demolished “The Drunkard’s Cloak” 162 “Puffing Billy” 165 The Gates of Blagdon Park 167 Morpeth 169 The Market-place, Morpeth 173 Felton Bridge 174 Alnwick 175 Alnwick Castle 185 Malcolm’s Cross 188 Bambrough Castle 192 The Scottish Border: Berwick Town and Bridge from 197 Tweedmouth Lamberton Toll 203 Off to the Border 205 Cockburnspath Tower 213 The Tolbooth, Dunbar 215 Bothwell Castle 220 Haddington Abbey, from Nungate 221 Edinburgh, from Tranent 223 Musselburgh 228 Calton Hill 232 The “White Horse” Inn 235 “Squalor and Picturesqueness” 238 Canongate 239 Old Inscription, Lady Stair’s House 241 The “Heave Awa” Sign 242 A Tirle-pin 243 Greyfriars 245 The Wooden Horse 247 Stately Princes Street 249 Edinburgh, New Town, 1847, from Mons Meg Battery 251 Skyline of the Old Town 255

[Picture: Chapter Heading: The Great North Road]