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Tuesday 19 March 2019

Stage coaches to Bath

Firstly, I purchased a 1812 copy of Cary's Roads, a post office survey, which is packed as full of information as a sardine can is of fish, and all in tiny, crabbed print.  

Now I shall be using Bath regularly, and I already have some research from earlier books - Abigail's Adventure being one, and parts of later Charity School books; Nessie is in Bath in the Armitage Chronicles.  And I used it in the Brandon Scandal, The Reprobate's Redemption.   I will be using it for an Emma fic which is sort of a sequel to Cousin Prudence, and with Diana, the second Seven Stepsisters book. 
So I started to collate information about Bath, and I am planning on putting it all together as a book; and indeed to go back to Cary's Roads and write out the roads any Regency author is likely to use, with extra information where I can.  So far  I am planning on the routes from London to:
Bath and Bristol; Brighton; York; Gretna; Newmarket; Plymouth; Portsmouth; Canterbury; Royal Tunbridge Wells; Manchester; and maybe Cheltenham & Gloucester.  I am open to negotiation on other routes.   

Anyway!  I have a query to put to the knowledgeable, with regards one of the stage coaches, which advertised as being for Invalids and Families.  Because of the length of time it took, I assume they overnighted somewhere.  I have made conjecture in the text. If anyone knows for certain, I would be pleased to hear! enclosed with *   *


The Stage-Coaches from London to Bath and the Inns from which they leave, and to which they return.

The first stagecoaches in the  17th century took 3 days to go from London to Bath.  After the pike roads were built, the time dropped to between 14-18 hours, commonly, with some slower.  The mail coach did it in 12-13 hours.

The places named are where they stop to take on or set down passengers.  Sometimes half an hour was allowed for dinner. If you were late queuing for the Jericho, or trying to swill down scalding hot coffee, the coach would go without you.

 Particular coaches are named.  


From Newbury to Bath, the road is remarkable for its hills, necessitating much skidding and unskidding, and renowned for accidents. 
Upward slopes had an automatic failsafe called a drag-shaft, hinged onto the rear axle-tree which dug in if the coach rolled backwards.   It could be raised to go backwards deliberately. Going downhill,  the coachman had to stop to fit a shoe, or skid-pan.  This looked like a shovel, chained to the side of the coach.  It put a drag on one wheel’s motion, slowing the coach considerably. If it was not in the right place, or broke, there could be a nasty accident, with the coach pursuing the horses, who tended to run away to avoid this. 




Angel Inn, St Clement’s Street

By Calne and Chippenham; daily
dep 5.30 am, arr 10pm at White Lion
Leave Bath 5.30 am arrive Angel 10pm

By Beckhampton Inn and Devizes, daily except Sunday. For families and invalids.
Dep 7.30 am, overnight Devizes arr Next Day 6 pm White Hart, Bath
*NB: although Devizes is more than half way, half way is Newbury, where the country gets hillier and the going is slower if not to cause too much problem to the passengers.*
Leave Bath 7.30, arrive next day 6pm.


Belle Sauvage, Ludgate Hill

Bath and Bristol, through Marlborough, Calne and Chippenham
Daily 2pm


Bolt-in-tun Fleet Street

‘The Post Coach’ by Beckhampton Inn and Devizes, daily [not Sunday]
dep 5am arr 10pm White Hart
Leave Bath 5am London, Bolt-in-tun 10pm






George and Blue Boar, Holburn

‘The Volunteer’ Bath and Bristol through Maidenhead, Reading, Newbury, Hungerford, Marlborough, Calne and Chippenham, daily
Leave 4pm, arrive 9am next morning, Lamb Inn [the Bush, Bristol 11am]
Depart Bristol 2pm, Bath 4pm arrive ‘George’ next morning 9am

The overnight service suited a lot of people who were able to sleep in coaches.  As this journey took 17 hours there was probably a stop at Maidenhead [which would be reached about 8pm] for dinner. Probably the coach used by Naval Officers reporting to Bristol.



Garrard’s Hall, Basing Land, Bread Street: and Black Bear Piccadilly

Through Hungerford, Marlborough, Devizes and Melksham
Tues, Thur, Sat  leave 1pm arrive Christopher Inn next day 10 am
Depart Bath Sun, Wed, Fri, 1pm arrive next day 10am

‘The Express’, Bath and Bristol through Calne and Chippenham  daily
5pm [Sunday 3pm] Bath arrive Midday? Bell Inn, Bristol 2pm
Leave Bristol 11am, arrive London 11am next day
[21 – 24 hours, I think ‘The Express’ was a bit of a joke]

Another overnight service, see remarks from previous



Golden Cross, Charing Cross

Bath and Bristol by Beckhampton Inn and Devizes, daily [except Sunday]
Leave 5am arrive 7pm White Hart, Bath, 9pm White Lion, Bristol
Leave Bristol 5am, Bath 7am, London 9pm

‘the New Post Coach’ Bath and Bristol through Beckhampton Inn and Devizes, every afternoon.
Leave 5pm, arrive 10am next day White Hart,Bath;  midday White Lion Bristol.
Leave Bristol 4pm, Bath, 6pm, arrive London 9am

Again, overnight.


Saracen’s Head, Snow Hill

Bath and Bristol through Newbury, Hungerford, Marlborough and Chippenham, Daily.
Leave 2pm, arrive next day 8am Greyhound, Bath; at the London Tavern & Swan Inn Bristol 11am
Departs Bristol 2pm, Bath 5pm, arrive next morning 10am



Saracent’s Head, Friday Street, Cheapside

Bath and Bristol through Marlborough, Calne and Chippenham daily
Leave 2-30 pm arr. Next day 8am White Lion Bath, 10am White Hart, Bristol
Leave Bristol 12 noon, Bath 2pm, arrive London next day 8am



The Swan with two Necks Lad Lane

‘Royal Mail’ for Bath by Beckhampton Inn and Devizes, daily
Leave 7-30 pm [Sun 5.45pm] arrive 9-30 am next day, Lamb Inn Bath
Depart 5-30 pm arrive London 8am next day.

‘Royal Volunteer’ Bath and Bristol through Chippenham, daily
Leave 3-45pm arrive Lamb Inn, Bath next day 11am, The Bush, Bristol 1pm.
Depart Bristol 2pm, Bath 4pm, arrive next day London 10am




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