1. _What I propose to do to the highways_.—I answer first, not repair
them; and yet secondly, not alter them—that is, not alter the course they
run; but perfectly build them as a fabric. And, to descend to the
particulars, it is first necessary to note which are the roads I mean,
and their dimensions.
First, the high post-roads, and they are for the county of Middlesex as
follows:
From London to Miles.
Staines, which is 15
Colebrook is from Hounslow 5
Uxbridge 15
Bushey, the Old Street-way 10
Barnet, or near it 9
Waltham Cross, in Ware Road 11
Bow 2
67
Besides these, there, are cross-roads, bye-roads, and lanes, which must
also be looked after; and that some of them may be put into condition,
others may be wholly slighted and shut up, or made drift-ways,
bridle-ways, or foot-ways, as may be thought convenient by the counties.
The cross-roads of most repute are as follows:
From To Miles.
London Hackney, Old Ford, and Bow 5
Hackney Dalston and Islington 2
Ditto Hornsey, Muswell Hill, to Whetstone 8
Tottenham The Chase, Southgate, &c., called Green 6
Lanes
Enfield Wash Enfield Town, Whetstone, Totteridge, to 10
Edgworth
London Hampstead, Hendon, and Edgworth 8
Edgworth Stanmore, to Pinner, to Uxbridge 8
London Harrow and Pinner Green 11
Ditto Chelsea, Fulham 4
Brentford Thistleworth, Twittenham, and Kingston 6
Kingston Staines, Colebrook, and Uxbridge 17
Ditto Chertsey Bridge 5
90
Overplus miles 50
140
And because there may be many parts of the crossroads which cannot be
accounted in the number abovementioned, or may slip my knowledge or
memory, I allow an overplus of 50 miles, to be added to the 90 miles
above, which together make the cross-roads of Middlesex to be 140 miles.
For the bye-lanes such as may be slighted need nothing but to be ditched
up; such as are for private use of lands, for carrying off corn, and
driving cattle, are to be looked after by private hands.
But of the last sort, not to be accounted by particulars, in the small
county of Middlesex we cannot allow less in cross-bye-lanes, from village
to village, and from dwelling-houses which stand out of the way to the
roads, than 1,000 miles.