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In 1754, new innovation appeared in the form of an advertisement in the Edinburgh Courant newssheet. A new coach service would run between Edinburgh and London, an unheard-of distance. But that wasn’t all.
The coaches used on the route would be lighter in weight, they would have steel springs and even have glass in the windows. These were an enormous technological leap forward – “Vorsprung durch Technik” 1754 style!
Without suspension, every bump in the road (and there were many) jolts your bones and makes travel extremely uncomfortable. The invention of steel springs made coaches run better, reducing the strain on the horses, and improved the ride for the passengers so that longer journeys became feasible.
The introduction of glass in the window openings was another enormous improvement for travellers. It replaced the leather flaps which did little keep out either wind or rain.
The new coaches were often referred to as ‘glass coaches’ in their early days and their improved design together with shorter stages, which enabled the horses to be changed and rested before they were exhausted, enabled them to reach speeds of six and seven miles per hour, reducing journey times greatly.
You can see why Hosea Eastgate’s coach stands out as a miracle of swiftness and frequency if you compare it with a coach from ten years before, which set out once a month and took a fortnight – and only if the weather was favourable!
Before this new glass coach service, the only way to travel to London, apart from walking or on horseback, was to hire a post-chaise. Known as “posting” it was incredibly expensive so travellers would sometimes club together much as we might share a taxi. Providing you could find enough fellow travellers to fill the carriage, it might be affordable, and the Edinburgh papers of the time often contained advertisements inquiring for fellow passengers to share the costs and charges.
The new glass coach service stepped in to fulfil a travel need that was increasing exponentially.
Section 4:
The Coaches
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Anecdotes written by people who actually travelled on the coaches
The coachmen, the inns, the coach proprietors - they’re all here. Come in and meet them
Britain’s roads were pretty impassable for most of our history. Coach travel was very difficult until they improved
Wheeled transport evolved over many years. Find out how coaches developed
Sources and information about how I came to create this website
Home Page of the Coaching Website