Antique County Map of Devon circa 1884

Antique county map of Devon first published circa 1884, republished 2017. Towns, villages & cities illustrated include Barnstaple, Exeter, Holsworthy, Ilfracombe, and Exmoor Forest.

Letts attractive maps are coloured lithographs. Prior to the mid 1800's most maps were copper or steel engravings that had to have any colour applied by hand. The introduction of lithography enabled the printer to produce maps without the laborious process of hand colouring. His maps contain much information and show just how far railways had spread by 1884.

The maps contain more information than the Smith's maps in regards to facts about population, lifeboat stations, and towns with markets etc. etc. Principal roads and all the railways are shown with distance between main towns. Long distance travel was at last within reach of the ordinary man and women.

When this map was published:

TRAVELLING

In 1800 it was a very long and uncomfortable journey to London from most parts of the country but over the next 100 years it became much less so. The beginning of this process was the establishment of turnpike roads and the improvement in coach technology. Before turnpike roads were established travel even in summer was very difficult and often impossible in winter. Local parishes were responsible for the upkeep of roads and local people were expected to work on them for up to six days a year. Roads were neglected and travel times varied little from pre-Roman times to the 18th century.

The term turnpike was of military derivation and refers to the practice of placing a pikestaff across the road which was turned aside upon the payment of a toll allowing travellers to pass through. The first turnpike was authorised by a local justice of the Peace in 1663 but not until 1706 were they established by Acts of Parliament. By the mid-18th century, it was possible to travel to most provincial cities by turnpike roads but most roads in general were unsuitable for wheeled traffic, goods were in the main transported by packhorse or donkey and people travelled by horse or on foot.

In circa 1700 travelling was a long and arduous business. By horse or ox drawn cart three weeks or more would have been required to travel from somewhere like Truro to London if conditions were good, by horse up to 5 days. in winter much longer, if at all. It was much faster and cheaper to travel by sea to London from Truro but wind and weather had to be set fair. For most life revolved around the village with occasional journeys to the nearest market town for some. Travel times slowly reduced as the roads and carriage design improved and with the introduction of stage and mail coaches. By the late 18th century, the mail coach made the journey from Bristol to London in 16 hours and by the early 19th century Truro could be reached in two or three days, but this would have been a frantic journey of constant travel and changing of the horses.

Travel was expensive. In Jane Austen’s day the stagecoach fare was around 3d a mile. This was not the only cost of course, overnight stays at the coaching inns and the tips for porters, chambermaids, guards, and others would add considerably to the costs. Additionally, there would have been a charge of 12d per stage (circa 1820) of approximately 30 or 40 miles for the coachman.

Last and not least was the danger from highwaymen and footpads. London was surrounded by heaths and commons. The road to Truro had to pass through Hounslow Heath and Maidenhead Thicket, both notorious for highwaymen. The introduction of armed guards on mail and stagecoaches reduced the risks and the introduction of the turnpikes with the manned toll houses reduced the risks still further and by the 1820s attacks were rare.

Finally with the railway revolution travel became a realistic possibility even for the population in rural communities. Travel became much safer, and times reduced to what we are familiar with today. The first passenger railway, the Stockton to Darlington line opening in 1825, inaugurated the railway age and soon London would become within reach of the average man or women. At last, it became possible for local good, including perishables, to be transported cheaply to the metropolis and for goods to travel the other way enabling a rise in Cornwall's prosperity. People could now work at a considerable distance from where they lived and thus the commuter was born. As they travelled further and more often the demand for accurate and up to date maps greatly increased.