the life of thomas telford-第50部分

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as　those　of　the　Highlands　above　described。　　Through　North　Wales

they　were　rough；　narrow；　steep；　and　unprotected；　mostly　unfenced；

and　in　winter　almost　impassable。　　The　whole　traffic　on　the　road

between　Shrewsbury　and　Bangor　was　conveyed　by　a　small　cart；　which

passed　between　the　two　places　once　a　week　in　summer。　　As　an

illustration　of　the　state　of　the　roads　in　South　Wales；　which　were

quite　as　bad　as　those　in　the　North；　we　may　state　that；　in　1803；

when　the　late　Lord　Sudeley　took　home　his　bride　from　the

neighbourhood　of　Welshpool　to　his　residence　only　thirteen　miles

distant；　the　carriage　in　which　the　newly　married　pair　rode　stuck　in

a　quagmire；　and　the　occupants；　having　extricated　themselves　from

their　perilous　situation；　performed　the　rest　of　their　journey　on

foot。



The　first　step　taken　was　to　improve　the　landing…places　on　both　the

Irish　and　Welsh　sides　of　St。　George's　Channel；　and　for　this　purpose

Mr。　Rennie　was　employed　in　1801。　　The　result　was；　that　Howth　on　the

one　coast；　and　Holyhead　on　the　other；　were　fixed　upon　as　the　most

eligible　sites　for　packet　stations。　　Improvements；　however；

proceeded　slowly；　and　it　was　not　until　1810　that　a　sum　of　10；000L。

was　granted　by　Parliament　to　enable　the　necessary　works　to　be

begun。　　Attention　was　then　turned　to　the　state　of　the　roads；

and　here　Mr。　Telford's　services　were　called　into　requisition。

As　early　as　1808　it　had　been　determined　by　the　Post…Office　authorities

to　put　on　a　mail…coach　between　Shrewsbury　and　Holyhead；　but　it　was

pointed　out　that　the　roads　in　North　Wales　were　so　rough　and

dangerous　that　it　was　doubtful　whether　the　service　could　be

conducted　with　safety。　　Attempts　were　made　to　enforce　the　law　with

reference　to　their　repair；　and　no　less　than　twenty…one　townships

were　indicted　by　the　Postmaster…General。　　The　route　was　found　too

perilous　even　for　a　riding　post；　the　legs　of　three　horses　having

been　broken　in　one　week。*＇4＇　　The　road　across　Anglesea　was　quite　as

bad。　　Sir　Henry　Parnell　mentioned；　in　1819；　that　the　coach　had　been

overturned　beyond　Gwynder；　going　down　one　of　the　hills；　when　a

friend　of　his　was　thrown　a　considerable　distance　from　the　roof　into

a　pool　of　water。　　Near　the　post…office　of　Gwynder；　the　coachman　had

been　thrown　from　his　seat　by　a　violent　jolt；　and　broken　his　leg。

The　post…coach；　and　also　the　mail；　had　been　overturned　at　the

bottom　of　Penmyndd　Hill；　and　the　route　was　so　dangerous　that　the

London　coachmen；　who　had　been　brought　down　to　〃work〃　the　country；

refused　to　continue　the　duty　because　of　its　excessive　dangers。

Of　course；　anything　like　a　regular　mail…service　through　such　a

district　was　altogether　impracticable。



The　indictments　of　the　townships　proved　of　no　use；　the　localities

were　too　poor　to　provide　the　means　required　to　construct　a　line　of

road　sufficient　for　the　conveyance　of　mails　and　passengers　between

England　and　Ireland。　　The　work　was　really　a　national　one；　to　be

carried　out　at　the　national　cost。　　How　was　this　best　to　be　done？

Telford　recommended　that　the　old　road　between　Shrewsbury　and

Holyhead　（109　miles　long）　should　be　shortened　by　about　four　miles；

and　made　as　nearly　as　possible　on　a　level；　the　new　line　proceeding

from　Shrewsbury　by　Llangollen；　Corwen；　Bettws…y…Coed；　Capel…Curig；

and　Bangor；　to　Holyhead。　　Mr。　Telford　also　proposed　to　cross　the

Menai　Strait　by　means　of　a　cast　iron　bridge；　hereafter　to　be

described。



Although　a　complete　survey　was　made　in　1811；　nothing　was　done　for

several　years。　　The　mail…coaches　continued　to　be　overturned；　and

stage…coaches；　in　the　tourist　season；　to　break　down　as　before。*＇5＇

The　Irish　mail…coach　took　forty　one　hours　to　reach　Holyhead　from

the　time　of　its　setting　out　from　St。　Martin's…le…Grand；　the　journey

was　performed　at　the　rate　of　only　6　3/4　miles　an　hour；　the　mail

arriving　in　Dublin　on　the　third　day。　　The　Irish　members　made　many

complaints　of　the　delay　and　dangers　to　which　they　were　exposed　in

travelling　up　to　town。　　But；　although　there　was　much　discussion；　no

money　was　voted　until　the　year　1815；　when　Sir　Henry　Parnell

vigorously　took　the　question　in　hand　and　successfully　carried　it

through。　　A　Board　of　Parliamentary　Commissioners　was　appointed；　of

which　he　was　chairman；　and；　under　their　direction；　the　new

Shrewsbury　and　Holyhead　road　was　at　length　commenced　and　carried　to

completion；　the　works　extending　over　a　period　of　about　fifteen　years。

The　same　Commissioners　excrcised　an　authority　over　the　roads

between　London　and　Shrewsbury；　and　numerous　improvements　were　also

made　in　the　main　line　at　various　points；　with　the　object　of

facilitating　communication　between　London　and　Liverpool　as　well　as

between　London　and　Dublin。



The　rugged　nature　of　the　country　through　which　the　new　road　passed；

along　the　slopes　of　rocky　precipices　and　across　inlets　of　the　sea；

rendered　it　necessary　to　build　many　bridges；　to　form　many

embankments；　and　cut　away　long　stretches　of　rock；　in　order　to

secure　an　easy　and　commodious　route。　　The　line　of　the　valley　of　the

Dee；　to　the　west　of　Llangollen；　was　selected；　the　road　proceeding

along　the　scarped　sides　of　the　mountains；　crossing　from　point　to

point　by　lofty　embankments　where　necessary；　and；　taking　into

account　the　character　of　the　country；　it　must　be　acknowledged　that

a　wonderfully　level　road　was　secured。　　While　the　gradients　on　the

old　road　had　in　some　cases　been　as　steep　as　1　in　6　1/2；　passing

along　the　edge　of　unprotected　precipices；　the　new　one　was　so　laid

out　as　to　be　no　more　than　1　in　20　at　any　part；　while　it　was　wide

and　well　protected　along　its　whole　extent。　　Mr。　Telford　pursued　the

same　system　that　he　had　adopted　in　the　formation　of　the　Carlisle

and　Glasgow　road；　as　regards　metalling；　cross…draining；　and

fence…walling；　for　the　latter　purpose　using　schistus；　or　slate

rubble…work；　instead　of　sandstone。　　The　largest　bridges　were　of

iron；　that　at　Bettws…y…Coed；　over　the　Conwaycalled　the　Waterloo

Bridge；　constructed　in　1815being　a　very　fine　specimen　of

Telford's　iron　bridge…work。



Those　parts　of　the　road　which　had　been　the　most　dangerous　were

taken　in　hand　first；　and；　by　the　year　1819；　the　route　had　been

rendered　comparatively　commodious　and　safe。　　Angles　were　cut　off；

the　sides　of　hills　were　blasted　away；　and　several　heavy　embankments

run　out　across　formidable　arms　of　the　sea。　　Thus；　at　Stanley　Sands；

near　Holyhead；　an　embankment　was　formed　1300　yards　long　and　16　feet

high；　with　a　width　of　34　feet　at　the　top；　along　which　the　road　was

laid。　　Its　breadth　at　the　base　was　114　feet；　and　both　sides　were

coated　with　rubble　stones；　as　a　protection　against　storms。　　By　the

adoption　of　this　expedient；　a　mile　and　a　half　was　saved　in　a

distance　of　six　miles。　　Heavy　embankments　were　also　run　out；　where

bridges　were　thrown　across　chasms　and　ravines；　to　maintain　the

general　level。　　From　Ty…Gwynn　to　Lake　Ogwen；　the　road　along　the　face

of　the　rugged　hill　and　across　the　river　Ogwen　was　entirely　new

made；　of　a　uniform　width　of　28　feet　between　the　parapets；　with　an

inclination　of　only　1　in　22　in　the　steepest　place。　　A　bridge　was

thrown　over　the　deep　chasm　forming　the　channel　of　the　Ogwen；　the

embankment　being　carried　forward　from　the　rook　cutting；　protected

by　high　breastworks。　　From　Capel…Curig　to　near　the　great　waterfall

over　the　river　Lugwy；　about　a　mile　of　new　road　was　cut；　and　a　still

greater　length　from　Bettws　across　the　river　Conway　and　along　the

face　of　Dinas　Hill　to　Rhyddlanfair；　a　distance　of　3　miles；　its

steepest　descent　being　1　in　22；　diminishing　to　1　in　45。　　By　this

improvement；　the　most　difficult　and　dangerous　pass　along　the　route

through　North　Wales　was　rendered　safe　and　commodious。



＇Image＇　Road　Descent　near　Betws…y…Coed。



Another　point　of　almost　equal　difficulty　occurred　near　Ty…Nant；

through　the　rocky　pass　of　Glynn　Duffrws；　where　the　road　was

confined　between　steep　rocks　and　rugged　precipices：　there　the　way

was　widened　and　flattened　by　blasting；　and　thus　reduced　to　the

general　level；　and　so　on　eastward　to　Llangollen　and　Chirk；　where

the　main　Shrewsbury　road　to　London　was　joined。*＇6＇



＇Image＇　Road　above　Nant　Frrancon；　North　Wales。



By　means　of　these　admirable　roads　the　traffic　of　North　Wales

continues　to　be　mainly　carried　on　to　this　day。　　Although　railways

have　superseded　coach…roads　in　the　more　level　districts；　the　hilly

nature　of　Wales　precludes　their　formation　in　that　quarter　to　any

considerable　extent；　and　even　in　the　event　of　railways　being

constructed；　a　large　part　of　the　traffic　of　every　country　must

necessarily　continue　to　pass　over　the　old　high　roads。　　Without　them

even　railways　would　be　of　comparatively　little　value；　for　a　railway

station　is　of　use　chiefly　because　of　its　easy　accessibility；　and

thus；　both　for　passengers　and　merchandise；　the　common　roads　of　the

country　are　as　useful　as　ever　they　were；　though　the　main　post…roads

have　in　a　great　measure　ceased　to　be　employed　for　the　purposes　for

which　they　were　originally　designed。



The　excellence　of　the　roads　constructed　by　Mr。　Telford　through　the

formerly　inaccessible　counties　of　North　Wales　was　the　theme　of

general　praise；　and　their　superiority；　compared　with　those　of　the

richer　and　more　level　districts　in　the　midland　and　western　English

counties；　becoming　the　subject　of　public　comment；　he　was　called

upon　to　execute　like　improvements　upon　that　part　of　the　post…road

which　extended　between　Shrewsbury　and　the　metropolis。　　A　careful

survey　was　made　of　the　several　routes　from　London　northward　by

Shrewsbury　as　far　as　Liverpool；　and　the　short　line　by　Coventry；

being　153　miles　from　London　to　Shrewsbury；　was　selected　as　the　one

to　be　improved　to　the　utmost。



Down　to　1819；　the　road　between　London　and　Coventry　was　in　a　very

bad　state；　being　so　laid　as　to　become　a　heavy　slough　in　wet

weather。　　There　were　many　steep　hills　which　required　to　be　cut　down；

in　some　parts　of　deep　clay；　in　others　of　deep　sand。　　A　mail…coach

had　been　tried　to　Banbury；　but　the　r