The stagecoach was the travel wonder of its age: passengers could board a fast coach and be shuttled from one end of the country to the other, stopping only in stages to hitch up fresh horses and take a little light refreshment at coaching inns. Though coaches first appeared in the sixteenth century, stagecoach travel reached its heyday between about 1750 and 1850, leading to great improvements in British roads, which in return encouraged faster and expanded services. This book details the routes, proprietors and coaching inns, the customers and why they chose to travel, and also the perils of early road travel, including highwaymen. The legacy of stagecoach travel is also explored, making this an essential introduction.
