Those who walked to town always found near the narrow lanes a pleasant
foot-path, which often cut off the corners and shortened the route. In
other places, where the road passed between the lands, which formerly
belonged to different proprietors, or when the adjoining land was
enclosed for different farms, broad pieces of ground were left by
ancient proprietors for the purpose of the king’s highway, that, when
one horse-track was worn impracticable, others might be found in better
condition, at the same time affording plenty of pleasant greensward for
the foot-passenger and poor man’s cow. Almost all these broad green
lanes have now been stolen from the public, by the greedy proprietors
of adjoining farms, who had no more right than you or I to the ground
which was open to the Queen’s highway. A few years ago, many such
pleasant green glades might be found in the road from Penzance to
Hayle; as, for example, where Canon’s town now stands was one of those
old broad highways which belonged to the public, and which the public
should have kept, as well as many other strips of greensward, that the
weary, worn, and footsore traveller might find some verdant spot
whereon to repose his feet and eyes.
These old green lanes were altogether distinct from the commons through
which a highway might pass. There are some portions,—few and far
between,—yet remaining of these old highways, to which the foot
passenger turns with pleasure, to get out of the way of the wheels and
dust.