Britannia, volume the first, or, An illustration of the Kingdom of England and dominion of Wales by a geographical and historical description of the principal roads thereof, actually admeasured and delineated in a century of whole-sheet copper-sculps : accomodated with the ichnography of the several cities and capital towns, and compleated by an accurate account of the more remarkable passages of antiquity : together with a novel discourse of the present state / by John Ogilby ...

The Road from London to St. Neots In Huntingdonshire.

Continued to Oakham in Rutland. Commencing at Barnet in Hartfordshire in the Holyhead Road.

• 1. THE Point of Bearing N. N. W.
• 2. The Direct Horizontal Distance 80 M.
• 3. The Vulgar Computation 67 M.
• 4. The Dimensuration 96’2.

From LONDON	Comp.	Measure.
to Barnet	10	10	11’7	11’7
Hatfield	07	17	08’4	20’3
Stevenage	08	25	11’4	31’7
Baldock	04	29	06’1	38’0
Biggleswade	05	34	07’7	45’7
Temsford	04	38	06’2	52’1
Eaton by St. Neots	03	41	03’7	56’0
Catworth	07	48	11’0	67’0
Lyford	05	53	07’6	74’6
Harringsworth	08	61	12’6	87’4
Oakham	06	67	08’6	96’2
	67		96’2

Midlesex, Hartfordshire, Bedfordsh. Huntingdonsh. Northamptonsh. and Rutlandsh. are the Counties through which you pass; and the Lea, Owse, Nine and Welland the princi∣pal Rivers crost over; the first part of the Road being reasonable good Way, but Baldock Lane is notorious for its badness, neither is the succeeding part of it at all commendable; yet is it to St. Neots a well-frequented Road by Carriers, &c. who from Lincolnshire often travel This, and omit the great Northern Road.

Forward Turnings to be avoided.

• At 12’4. The Left forward to St. Albans.
• At 15’5. The Left forward to St. Albans.
• At 22’2. The Left to Dunstable.
• At 25’5. The Left to Hitching.
• At 38’0. The Right in Baldock.
• At 46’2. The Left forward at the End of Biggleswade.
• At 52’3. The Right forward the great Road to St. Neots.
• At 57’1. The Right to Stilton in the Barwick Road.
• At 60’4. The Left in Great Stoughton to Bed∣ford, &c.
• At 77’4. The Right forward to Oundle.

FROM LONDON to Barnet We discourst in the Road to Holyhead, pag. 41. whence crossing a Corner of Midlesex and leaving the foresaid Road to Holy∣head on the Left, you pass over the Common, re-enter Hartfordshire, and at 17’5. by Bell-bar, at 18 Miles by Michel-bar, and at 18’7. by Hatfield Wood-gate all on the Left, you pass by Hatfield Park the Earl of Salisbury's on the same Hand, and at 20 Miles enter Hatfield extending 4 Furlongs on the Road, with a Market on Thursdays, and a Fair on the 23d. of July.

From Hatfield you descend a small Hill at the Foot of which you cross the Lea, whence your Way is Hilly and something Woody, entring Wellen at 25’5. of 2 Fur∣longs Extent: From 26’2. Woodhal Park accompanies you on the Left a Mile, where ascending and descending you pass through Woolmer Green a Village of 2 Furlongs, and your Road still Hilly brings you at 30 Miles to Broad-water a small Village, and at 31’5. to Stevenage of 3 Furlongs Extent, consisting in several good Inns, &c. for Accommodation, enjoying formerly a Market on Fridays; and still a Fair on the 17th. of July.

Hence a Woody Way conveys you to Gravely at 33’5. in Extent 2 Furlongs, be∣yond which repeated Ascents and Descents lead you at 37’4. to Baldock extending 5 Furlongs on the Road, driving a great Trade in Mault, having a Market on Thursdays and 3 Fairs annually, the 24th. of February, the 23d. of July, and the 31th. of November.

Presently beyond the Town you come into Baldock Lane a deep and ill Way con∣tinuing even to Biggleswade, at the entrance into which passing by Norton and Rad∣wel on the Left, in the Bottom beyond the first Hill you enter Bedfordshire at 39’4. then over 2 other Hills leaving Stotfold, Astwick and Langford Churches on the Left and Edworth on the Right, you enter Biggleswade at 45’4. in length 5 Furlongs, seated near the Ivel a Branch of the Owse, has a well-furnish'd Market on Wedns∣days, and 4 Fairs yearly, Whitsun-Monday, the Monday after Low-Sunday, the 23d. of October, and the 1st. of November.

At 47’1. you pass through Nether Calcot a small Village, and at 48’5. by Bech∣ing-Cross 3 or 4 Houses on the Left, and Sandy on the Right; at 49’1. over a woo∣den Bridg cross a small Brook, and enter Yerford of 5 Furlongs Extent with several Inns of Accomodation.

At 51’6. an open Way brings you to Tamesford or Temsford of 3 Furlongs Ex∣tent, seated near the Confluence of the Ivel and Owse, full of good Inns for Enter∣tainment, and of Note formerly for having a Castle, and being a Station of the Danes; 2 Furlongs beyond which (the direct Way to St. Neots proceeding forward) you ford over the Owse, and leave Rokesdon Church on the Left; and at 54’3. through a small Village come at 55’4. to a Stone-Bridg over a Brook where you enter Eaton of 6 Furlongs Extent, a good Thorough-fare, and seated on the Banks of the Owse, which hence passes to St. Neots near a Mile distant, so call'd from Neotus a Monk of Glastonbury, a large and well-built Town with a good Market on Thursdays, and 4 Fairs annually.

At 57’1. the Road to Bugden and so into the great Road to YORK, &c. proceed∣ing forward you fall in with a well-beaten Road from St. Neots, and bearing to the Left at 58’3. enter Huntingdonshire, and Great Stoughton at 60’3. of 2 Furlongs Ex∣tent, where the Road to Bedford, &c. branching out on the Left, you bear to the Right, and at 65’5. leave Kimbolton on the Left, a small Market-town, the Castle being the Seat of the Earl of Manchester; whence an open Way for the most Part Arable, brings you at 66’6. to Great Catworth of 2 Furlongs Extent, and at 68’5. to Brynton a Village of 2 Furlongs, entring Northamptonshire at 70’2.

At 51’6. you pass through Clapton a scattering Village, into which a small Wood introduces you; whence an open Way brings you to Lyford a small Village at 74’5. at the End of which over a Stone-bridg you cross the Nine, passing between Ay and Pilkington, and by 2 repeated Descents at 79 Miles pass through Benyfield of 2 Furlongs Extent, and through Dean Thorp at 82’1. entring Dean at 83 Miles ex∣tending 2 Furlongs on the Road, and Adorn'd with a fair Seat and usual Resi∣dence of the Earl of Cardigan's.

At 84’2. you descend 2 Furlongs, and through Part of Rokingham Forest, lying principally on the Left, by some Stone-quarries on the Right, and Laxton on the same Hand; you descend 3 Furlongs, and at 87’3. enter Harringsworth of 2 Furlongs Extent, affording good Accommodation; a Furlong beyond which over a Stone∣bridg of 3 Arches you cross the Welland and enter Rutlandshire.

Hence ascending and descending by Seyton Church on the Left, at 90 Miles you pass through Glayston a small Village, whence your Road continuing Hilly and ge∣nerally open, by Preston on the Left, and Wing, Manton and Egleton successively at some distance on the Right; at 96 Miles you enter Oakham, the Shire-town, in∣different large, having a good Market on Saturdays and 3 Fairs yearly, March the 4th. April the 25th. and August the 29th. [as in LONDON to Oakham, pag. 93.]

Backward Turnings to be avoided.

• 1. 3 Furlongs beyond Dean, the Left to Oundle.
• 2. At the entring Dean Thorp, the Right to Bedford.
• 3. In Benyfield the Right to Brigstock.
• 4. 1’5. Beyond Benyfield the Right.
• 5. At the end of Brynton the Right acute.
• 6. 1’3. Beyond Tamesford the Left to Sandy.
• 7. At the End of Baldock the Left to Weston.
• 8. In Broadwater the Left to Hartford.

Notes

• Counties past through. Rivers crost over. The quality of the way.
• Acute Turnings to be avoided.
• Barnet, N. E. by N. [16’1. N. N. W.]
• Hatfield, 20’3. [20’4. N. N. E.]
• Wellen, 25’6. [27’6. N.]
• Woolmer Green, 27’7. Broadwater, 30 Miles N. N. W. Stevenage, 31’7.
• Graveley, 33’6. N. b. E. Baldock, 38 Miles. N. W. by N.
• Biggleswade, 45’7. [46’2. N. by W.]
• Terford, 49’5.
• Temsford, 52’1.
• Eaton, 56 Miles.
• [57’1. N.W. by N.] [58’5. W.N.W.]
• Great Stoughton, 60’4. N.N.W.
• Catworth, 67 Miles. Brynton, 68’6.
• Clapton, 71’6. Lyford, 74’6.
• Benyfiold, 79 M. W. N. W
• Dean Thorp, 82’1. [83 Miles W.] Dean, 83’4. [83’7. N.N.W.]
• Harringsworth, 87’4. [87’7. W.]
• Glayston, 90 Miles. [91’1. N.N.W.]
• Oakham, 96’2.