the life of thomas telford-第3章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！





Let　any　one　imagine　what　would　be　the　effect　of　closing　the　roads；

railways；　and　canals　of　England。　　The　country　would　be　brought　to　a

dead　lock；　employment　would　be　restricted　in　all　directions；　and　a

large　proportion　of　the　inhabitants　concentrated　in　the　large　towns

must　at　certain　seasons　inevitably　perish　of　cold　and　hunger。



In　the　earlier　periods　of　English　history；　roads　were　of　comparatively

less　consequence。　　While　the　population　was　thin　and　scattered；

and　men　lived　by　hunting　and　pastoral　pursuits；　the　track　across

the　down；　the　heath；　and　the　moor；　sufficiently　answered　their　purpose。

Yet　even　in　those　districts　unencumbered　with　wood；　where　the　first

settlements　were　madeas　on　the　downs　of　Wiltshire；　the　moors　of

Devonshire；　and　the　wolds　of　Yorkshirestone　tracks　were　laid　down

by　the　tribes　between　one　village　and　another。　　We　have　given　here；

a　representation　of　one　of　those　ancient　trackways　still　existing

in　the　neighbourhood　of　Whitby；　in　Yorkshire；



＇Image＇　Ancient　Causeway；　near　Whitby。



and　there　are　many　of　the　same　description　to　be　met　with　in　other

parts　of　England。　　In　some　districts　they　are　called　trackways　or

ridgeways；　being　narrow　causeways　usually　following　the　natural

ridge　of　the　country；　and　probably　serving　in　early　times　as　local

boundaries。　　On　Dartmoor　they　are　constructed　of　stone　blocks；

irregularly　laid　down　on　the　surface　of　the　ground；　forming　a　rude

causeway　of　about　five　or　six　feet　wide。



The　Romans；　with　many　other　arts；　first　brought　into　England　the

art　of　road…making。　　They　thoroughly　understood　the　value　of　good

roads；　regarding　them　as　the　essential　means　for　the　maintenance

of　their　empire　in　the　first　instance；　and　of　social　prosperity　in

the　next。　It　was　their　roads；　as　well　as　their　legions；　that　made

them　masters　of　the　world；　and　the　pickaxe；　not　less　than　the　sword；

was　the　ensign　of　their　dominion。　　Wherever　they　went；　they　opened

up　the　communications　of　the　countries　they　subdued；　and　the　roads

which　they　made　were　among　the　best　of　their　kind。　　They　were

skilfully　laid　out　and　solidly　constructed。　　For　centuries　after

the　Romans　left　England；　their　roads　continued　to　be　the　main

highways　of　internal　communication；　and　their　remains　are　to　this

day　to　be　traced　in　many　parts　of　the　country。　　　Settlements　were

made　and　towns　sprang　up　along　the　old　〃streets；〃　and　the　numerous

Stretfords；　Stratfords；　and　towns　ending'　in　〃le…street〃

as　Ardwick…le…street；　in　Yorkshire；　and　Chester…le…street；

in　Durhammostly　mark　the　direction　of　these　ancient　lines　of　road。

There　are　also　numerous　Stanfords；　which　were　so　called　because　they

bordered　the　raised　military　roadways　of　the　Romans；　which　ran

direct　between　their　stations。



The　last…mentioned　peculiarity　of　the　roads　constructed　by　the

Romans；　must　have　struck　many　observers。　　Level　does　not　seem　to

have　been　of　consequence；　compared　with　directness。　　This

peculiarity　is　supposed　to　have　originated　in　an　imperfect

knowledge　of　mechanics；　for　the　Romans　do　not　appear　to　have　been

acquainted　with　the　moveable　joint　in　wheeled　carriages。

The　carriage…body　rested　solid　upon　the　axles；　which　in　four…wheeled

vehicles　were　rigidly　parallel　with　each　other。　　Being　unable

readily　to　turn　a　bend　in　the　road；　it　has　been　concluded　that　for

this　reason　all　the　great　Roman　highways　were　constructed　in　as

straight　lines　as　possible。



On　the　departure　of　the　Romans　from　Britain；　most　of　the　roads

constructed　by　them　were　allowed　to　fall　into　decay；　on　which　the

forest　and　the　waste　gradually　resumed　their　dominion　over　them；

and　the　highways　of　England　became　about　the　worst　in　Europe。

We　find；　however；　that　numerous　attempts　were　made　in　early　times

to　preserve　the　ancient　ways　and　enable　a　communication　to　be

maintained　between　the　metropolis　and　the　rest　of　the　country；

as　well　as　between　one　　market　town　and　another。



The　state　of　the　highways　may　be　inferred　from　the　character　of

the　legislation　applying　to　them。　　One　of　the　first　laws　on　the

subject　was　passed　in　1285；　directing　that　all　bushes　and　trees

along　the　roads　leading　from　one　market　to　another　should　be　cut

down　for　two　hundred　feet　on　either　side；　to　prevent　robbers

lurking　therein；*＇1＇　but　nothing　was　proposed　for　amending　the

condition　of　the　ways　themselves。　　In　1346；　Edward　III。

authorised　the　first　toll　to　be　levied　for　the　repair　of　the

roads　leading　from　St。　Giles's…in…the…Fields　to　the　village　of

Charing　（now　Charing　Cross）；　and　from　the　same　quarter　to　near

Temple　Bar　（down　Drury　Lane）；　as　well　as　the　highway　then　called

Perpoole　（now　Gray's　Inn　Lane）。　The　footway　at　the　entrance　of

Temple　Bar　was　interrupted　by　thickets　and　bushes；　and　in　wet

weather　was　almost　impassable。　　The　roads　further　west　were　so

bad　that　when　the　sovereign　went　to　Parliament　faggots　were

thrown　into　the　ruts　in　King…street；　Westminster；　to　enable　the

royal　cavalcade　to　pass　along。



In　Henry　VIII。's　reign；　several　remarkable　statutes　were　passed

relating　to　certain　worn…out　and　impracticable　roads　in　Sussex　and

the　Weald　of　Kent。　　From　the　earliest　of　these；　it　would　appear

that　when　the　old　roads　were　found　too　deep　and　miry　to　be　passed；

they　were　merely　abandoned　and　new　tracks　struck　out。　　After

describing　〃many　of　the　wayes　in　the　wealds　as　so　depe　and　noyous

by　wearyng　and　course　of　water　and　other　occasions　that　people

cannot　have　their　carriages　or　passages　by　horses　uppon　or　by　the

same　but　to　their　great　paynes；　perill　and　jeopardie；〃　the　Act

provided　that　owners　of　land　might；　with　the　consent　of　two

justices　and　twelve　discreet　men　of　the　hundred；　lay　out　new　roads

and　close　up　the　old　ones。　　Another　Act　passed　in　the　same　reign；

related　to　the　repairs　of　bridges　and　of　the　highways　at　the　ends

of　bridges。



But　as　these　measures　were　for　the　most　part　merely　permissive；

they　could　have　had　but　little　practical　effect　in　improving　the

communications　of　the　kingdom。　　In　the　reign　of　Philip　and　Mary

（in　1555）；　an　Act　was　passed　providing　that　each　parish　should　elect

two　surveyors　of　highways　to　see　to　the　maintenance　of　their

repairs　by　　compulsory　labour；　the　preamble　reciting　that

〃highwaies　are　now　both　verie　noisome　and　tedious　to　travell　in；

and　dangerous　to　all　　passengers　and　cariages；〃　and　to　this　day

parish　and　cross　roads　are　maintained　on　the　principle　of　Mary's

Act；　though　the　compulsory　labour　has　since　been　commuted　into　a

compulsory　tax。



In　the　reigns　of　Elizabeth　and　James；　other　road　Acts　were　passed；

but；　from　the　statements　of　contemporary　writers；　it　would　appear

that　they　were　followed　by　very　little　substantial　progress；　and

travelling　continued　to　be　attended　with　many　difficulties。　　Even　in

the　neighbourhood　of　the　metropolis；　the　highways　were　in　certain

seasons　scarcely　passable。　　The　great　Western　road　into　London　was

especially　bad；　and　about　Knightsbridge；　in　winter；　the　traveller

had　to　wade　through　deep　mud。　　Wyatt's　men　entered　the　city　by　this

approach　in　the　rebellion　of　1554；　and　were　called　the　〃draggle…tails〃

because　of　their　wretched　plight。　　The　ways　were　equally　bad　as　far

as　Windsor；　which；　in　the　reign　of　Elizabeth；　is　described　by　Pote；

in　his　history　of　that　town；　as　being　〃not　much　past　half　a　day's

journeye　removed　from　the　flourishing　citie　of　London。〃



At　a　greater　distance　from　the　metropolis；　the　roads　were　still

worse。　　They　were　in　many　cases　but　rude　tracks　across　heaths　and

commons；　as　furrowed　with　deep　ruts　as　ploughed　fields；　and　in

winter　to　pass　along　one　of　them　was　like　travelling　in　a　ditch。

The　attempts　made　by　the　adjoining　occupiers　to　mend　them；　were　for

the　most　part　confined　to　throwing　large　stones　into　the　bigger

holes　to　fill　them　up。　　It　was　easier　to　allow　new　tracks　to　be

made　than　to　mend　the　old　ones。　　The　land　of　the　country　was　still

mostly　unenclosed；　and　it　was　possible；　in　fine　weather；　to　get