In strong contrast to the vigorous denunciations of Arthur Young of so
many, though not all, of the roads over which his extensive journeyings
through England had led him, are the statements of other authorities,
writing about the same time, as to the commercial and social advantages
resulting from such improvements as had been brought about. The conflict of
testimony appears inconsistent until one remembers that, bad as were the
particular conditions which Arthur Young describes, the general conditions
were, nevertheless, better than before. Just as the first bone-shaking
stage-coach, without springs, seemed to Chamberlayne an "admirable
commodiousness," such as the world had never before seen, so, in the view
of the writers who had not the same experience of travel as Arthur Young,
turnpike roads of any kind may have appeared a vast improvement on the
boggy roads or the narrow bridle paths they had succeeded.
Whatever, again, the dangers and discomforts of so many even of the new
turnpike roads, there is no doubt that a distinct stimulus was given to
trade and travel as the result not only of the better roads but of the
better vehicles that could be, and were being, used on them. Agriculture,
industries, commerce and social progress all, in fact, took another step
forward as these opportunities for transport and communication relatively
improved.
Under the influence, possibly, of such considerations as these Henry Homer,
writing in 1767, regards with great satisfaction the general outlook at
that time. He says:--
"Our very Carriages travel with almost winged Expedition between every Town
of Consequence in the Kingdom and the Metropolis. By this, as well as the
yet more valuable Project of increasing inland Navigation, a Facility of
Communication is soon likely to be established from every Part of the
Island {86}to the sea, and from the several places in it to each other.
Trade is no longer fettered by the Embarrasments, which attended our former
Situation. Dispatch, which is the very life and Soul of Business, becomes
daily more attainable by the free Circulation opening in every Channel,
which is adapted to it. Merchandise and Manufactures find a ready
Conveyance to the Markets. The natural Blessings of the Island are shared
by the Inhabitants with a more equal Hand. The Constitution itself acquires
Firmness by the Stability and Increase both of Trade and Wealth which are
the Nerves and Sinews of it.
"In Consequence of all this, the Demand for the Produce of the Lands is
increased; the Lands themselves advance proportionably both in their annual
Value and in the Number of Years-purchase for which they are sold,
according to such Value....
"There never was a more astonishing Revolution accomplished in the internal
System of any Country than has been within the Compass of a few years in
that of England.
"The carriage of Grain, Coals, Merchandize, etc., is in general conducted
with little more than half the Number of Horses with which it formerly was.
Journies of Business are performed with much more than double Expedition.
Improvements in Agriculture keep pace with those of Trade. Everything wears
the Face of Dispatch; every Article of our Produce becomes more valuable;
and the Hinge, upon which all these Movements turn, is the Reformation
which has been made in our Publick Roads."
In the article on "Roads" in Postlethwayt's "Dictionary" (1745) it is
declared that the country had derived great advantage from the improvements
of the roads, and from the application of tolls collected at the turnpikes.
Travelling had been rendered safer, easier and pleasanter. "That this end
is greatly answered," we are assured, "everyone's experience will tell him
who can remember the condition of the roads thirty or forty years ago."
There had been, also, a benefit to trade and commerce by the reduced cost
of carriage for all sorts of goods and merchandise. On this especially
interesting point the writer of the article says: "Those who have made it
their business to be rightly informed of this matter have, upon inquiry,
found that carriage is now 30 per cent {87}cheaper than before the roads
were amended by turnpikes." He proceeds to give a number of examples of
such reductions in freight, among them being the following:--
"From Birmingham to London it is said there is not less than 25 or 30
waggons sent weekly; 7s. per hundred was formerly paid, the price now paid
is from 3 to 4s. per hundred.
"From Portsmouth to London the common price was 7s. per hundred, the
Government paid so in Queen Anne's war, and now only 4 to 5s. per hundred
is paid; and in the late war arms and warlike stores for his Majesty's
service were carried at the rate of 4 or 5s. per hundred.
"From Exeter to London, and from other towns in the west of like distance
the carriage of wool and other goods is very great, especially in times of
war.--12s. per hundred was formerly paid, now only 8s. per hundred. The
same can be affirmed with respect to Bristol, Gloucester and the adjacent
counties."
While the traders and the consumers were, presumably, both benefitting from
these reduced charges, the carriers also gained, by reason of the greater
loads they were able to take with the same number of horses. On this point
the writer says: "The roads in general were formerly so bad and deep, so
full of holes and sloughs that a team of horses could scarce draw from any
place of 60 miles distant, or upwards, above 30 hundred weight of goods;
whereas the same team can now draw with more ease 50 or 60 hundred." On the
other hand he did not overlook the fact that the keeping up of the turnpike
roads was "a prodigious expense to the nation," so that, in his opinion,
the reduction in transport charges was only "a seeming alleviation" of the
general burden.
At the time Defoe made his tour of England the turnpike system was still in
its infancy; but he is very eulogistic over the improvements then already
made.
Having, as already mentioned on p. 65, described the roads from London to
the North across the clay-belt of the Midlands, Defoe tells how "turnpikes
or toll-bars" had been set up on "several great roads of England, beginning
at London, and proceeding through almost all those dirty deep roads" in the
midland counties especially, "At which Turn-pikes all Carriages, Droves of
Cattle and Travellers on Horse-back are obliged to pay an easy Toll; that
is to say, a Horse a Penny, {88}a Coach three Pence, a Cart four Pence, at
some six Pence to eight Pence, a Waggon six Pence, in some a Shilling, and
the like; Cattle pay by the Score, or by the Head, in some Places more, in
some less." Several of these turnpikes had been set up of late years and
"great Progress had been made in mending the most difficult Ways."
On these roads toll was, of course, being taken by authority of Act of
Parliament; but there was one road, at least, on which tolls were being
enforced without Parliamentary sanction; for Defoe goes on to say:--
"There is another Road, which is a Branch of the Northern Road, and is
properly called the Coach Road ... and this indeed is a most frightful Way,
if we take it from Hatfield, or rather the Park Corners of Hatfield House,
and from thence to Stevenage, to Baldock, to Biggleswade and Bugden. Here
is that famous Lane call'd Baldock Lane, famous for being so impassable
that the Coaches and Travellers were oblig'd to break out of the Way even
by Force, which the People of the Country not able to prevent, at length
placed Gates and laid their lands open, setting men at the Gates to take a
voluntary Toll, which Travellers always chose to pay, rather than plunge
into Sloughs and Holes, which no Horse could wade through.
"This terrible Road is now under Cure by the same Methods, and probably may
in Time be brought to be firm and solid."