This eBook was prepared by Les Bowler, St. Ives, Dorset.
The following pages are an attempt to supply something amusing, instructive,and suggestive to travellers who, not caring particularly where theygo, or how long they stay at any particular place, may wish to knowsomething of the towns and districts through which they pass, on theirway to Wales, the Lakes of Cumberland, or the Highlands of Scotland;or to those who, having a brief vacation, may wish to employ it amongpleasant rural scenes, and in investigating the manufactures, the mines,and other sources of the commerce and influence of this small islandand great country.
In performing this task, I have relied partly on personal observation,partly on notes and the memory of former journeys; and where needfulhave used the historical information to be found in cyclopædias,and local guide-books.
This must account for, if it does not excuse, the unequal space devotedto districts with equal claims to attention. But it would takeyears, if not a lifetime, to render the manuscript of so discursivea work complete and correct.
I feel that I have been guilty of many faults of commission and omission;but if the friends of those localities to which I have not done justicewill take the trouble to forward to me any facts or figures of publicgeneral interest, they shall be carefully embodied in any future edition,should the book, as I hope it will, arrive at such an honour and profit.
S. S.
LONDON, AUGUST, 1851.
LONDON AND NORTH WESTERN RAILWAY
EUSTON STATION
THE MIXED TRAIN
CAMDEN STATION
AYLESBURY
WOBURN AND BEDFORD
THE BUCKS RAILWAY
BANBURY
OXFORD
WOLVERTON STATION
BLISWORTH, NORTHAMPTON
WEEDON
RUGBY AND ITS RAILWAYS
ARNOLD AND HIS SCHOOL
COVENTRY TO BIRMINGHAM
BIRMINGHAM
WARWICK, LEAMINGTON, KENILWORTH, STRATFORD-ON-AVON
SOHO
THE BLACK COUNTRY (WALSALL, DUDLEY, WEDNESBURY, DARLASTON)
STAFFORD
LIVERPOOL
MANCHESTER
THE ROAD TO YORKSHIRE
YORKSHIRE
LEEDS
THROUGH LINCOLNSHIRE TO SHEFFIELD
SHEFFIELD
DERBYSHIRE
FROM CHESTER TO NORTH STAFFORDSHIRE
THE LAKES
HOME
EUSTON SQUARE, LONDON
HARROW-ON-THE-HILL
VIADUCT OVER THE RIVER COLNE, NEAR WATFORD
LOOKING FROM THE HILL ABOVE BOXMOOR STATION TOWARDS BERKHAMSTED
BERKHAMSTED STATION
LEIGHTON BUZZARD
DENBIGH HALL BRIDGE
THE WOLVERTON VIADUCT
BRIDGE IN THE BLISWORTH EMBANKMENT
VIEW FROM TOP OF KILSBY TUNNEL, LOOKING TOWARDS RUGBY
COVENTRY
THE SHERBORNE VIADUCT, NEAR COVENTRY
THE AVON VIADUCT
THE ASTON VIADUCT
ASTON HALL
NEWTON ROAD STATION, NEAR BIRMINGHAM
THE RAILWAY NEAR PENKRIDGE
STAFFORD
VIEW NEAR WHITMORE
VALE-ROYAL VIADUCT
EXCAVATION AT HARTFORD
VIADUCT OVER THE MERSEY AND MERSEY AND IRWELL CANAL, KINGSTON
THE DUTTON VIADUCT
THE WARRINGTON VIADUCT
According to Mr. Punch, one of the greatest authorities of the dayon all such subjects, the nearest way to Euston Station is to take acab; but those who are not in a hurry may take advantage of the omnibusesthat start from Gracechurch Street and Charing Cross, traversing theprincipal thoroughfares and calling at the George and Blue Boar, Holborn,the Green Man and Still, Oxford Street, and the Booking Offices in RegentCircus.
Euston, including its dependency, Camden Station, is the greatestrailway port in England, or indeed in the world. It is the principalgate through which flows and reflows the traffic of a line which hascost more than twenty-two millions sterling; which annually earns morethan t