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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