I. INTRODUCTORY 1
II. BRITAIN'S EARLIEST ROADS 4
III. ROADS AND THE CHURCH 11
IV. EARLY TRADING CONDITIONS 15
V. EARLY ROAD LEGISLATION 28
VI. EARLY CARRIAGES 35
VII. LOADS, WHEELS AND ROADS 43
VIII. THE COACHING ERA 51
IX. THE AGE OF BAD ROADS 64
X. THE TURNPIKE SYSTEM 77
XI. TRADE AND TRANSPORT IN THE TURNPIKE ERA 85
XII. SCIENTIFIC ROAD-MAKING 98
XIII. RIVERS AND RIVER TRANSPORT 108
XIV. RIVER IMPROVEMENT AND INDUSTRIAL EXPANSION 128
XV. DISADVANTAGES OF RIVER NAVIGATION 150
XVI. THE CANAL ERA 165
XVII. THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION 186
XVIII. EVOLUTION OF THE RAILWAY 195
XIX. THE RAILWAY ERA 222
XX. RAILWAY EXPANSION 242
XXI. RAILWAYS AND THE STATE 258{xii}
XXII. DECLINE OF CANALS 294
XXIII. DECLINE OF TURNPIKES 312
XXIV. END OF THE COACHING ERA 325
XXV. RAILWAY RATES AND CHARGES 335
XXVI. THE RAILWAY SYSTEM TO-DAY 359
XXVII. WHAT THE RAILWAYS HAVE DONE 385
XXVIII. RAILWAYS A NATIONAL INDUSTRY 405
XXIX. TRAMWAYS, MOTOR-BUSES AND RAIL-LESS ELECTRIC TRACTION 453
XXX. CYCLES, MOTOR-VEHICLES AND TUBES 472
XXXI. THE OUTLOOK 494
AUTHORITIES 514
INDEX 522
{1}A HISTORY