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 Dover In KENT.

• 1. THE Point of Bearing S.E. b. E.
• 2. The direct Horizontal Distance 62. M.
• 3. The Vulgar Computation 55. M.
• 4. The Dimensuration. 71’4.

From LONDON	Comp.	Measure.
to Deptford	04	04	05’0	05’0
Crayford	06	10	08’6	13’6
Dartford	02	12	02’0	15’6
Northfleet	04	16	05’2	21’0
Chaulkstreet	03	19	03’2	24’2
to ROCHESTER	04	23	05’4	29’6
Sittingborn	08	31	11’2	41’0
Bocton Street	08	39	09’4	50’4
CANTERBURY	04	43	05’6	56’2
Dover	12	55	15’2	71’4

But the Post Miles comes near the Dimensuration, accounting it to Dartford 14. to ROCHESTER 14. to Sittingborn 12. to CANTERBURY 15. and to Dover 15. in all 70.

Midlesex, Surrey and Kent include the whole Road; which crosses the River Thames, Cray, Darent, Medway and Stour: Affording in general a very good and well-beaten Road as any in the Kingdom; chiefly Chalky and Gravelly, and none better provided for conveniency of Entertainment, being certainly the most frequented Road in England; as conveying you unto the readiest passage for France, and to the Downs upon all occasions: Wherein these Turnings are to be avoided.

• At 1 Mile the forward way to Newington.
• At 4’4. The Right to Lewsham.
• At 21’0. The Left to Gravesend.
• At 35’5. The Left to Upchurch.
• At 45’7. Acute on the Left to Feversham.
• At 67’0. The Left to Colred.

From the Standard in Cornhil LONDON, you take your way down Gracious-street, Fish-street Hill, over the Bridg, and along Southwark; being come to St. George's Church, you turn short on the Left half a Furlong, and through Kent-street as in the Description of LONDON; come to Lock Bridg, there at 1’4. leaving the Town, you first cross a Rill call'd St. Thomas Watering; then by Half-way House on the Left come at 4’3. to a discon∣tinued Village call'd New-Cross, where you Enter Kent; having from the Bridg hither been in Surrey: Presently after the Road branches out on the Right to Lewsham, and thence to Tunbridg and Rie, &c.

At 5 Miles you are in Upper Deptford, which with Lower Deptford makes a large Town of chief account for it's Docks and Store-Houses, &c. At 5’3. the Ascent brings you to Black-Heath, where at 6 M. a Corner of the Brick Wall Enclosing Greenwich Park, comes up to the Road on the Left, and at 6 Furlongs distance Lies Greenwich, a large Pleasant Town on the Banks of the Thames Ennobled with a House of the Kings, now in a Stately manner Re-edify'd: This Heath is noted for a Common Rendezvouz; for here Wat the Tyler or Helier, Muster'd near 100’000. Anno 4. R. 2d.: Jack Cade who call'd him∣self Mortimer Encampt here Anno 28. H. 6th. and Anno 1497. 2000 of the Cornish Rebels were here kill'd, and the rest Defeated.

At 8 M. Shooter's Hill ascends for about 7 Furlongs, whose top affords a very Emi∣nent Prospect into the 3 adjacent Counties; whence descending you pass through a Wood of a Mile in length, heretofore not so safe for Travellers; and at 11 Mile Enter Wellen a small Village, and at 13’5. Crayford upon the River Cray, a good Country Town of 3 Furlongs, well Accommodated; whence a direct Road brings you at 15’2. to a descent leading you into Dartford 6 Furlongs long, seated on the Darent near its Influx into the Thames, a large Town with good Inns, and a well frequented Market on Satur∣days for Corn, &c. and 2 Fairs annually; whence by Stone Church on the Left, your Road by several ascents and descents brings you to Stonebridg within a Furlong of the Thames, just at the beginning of Cravesend Reach, from which a small ascent leads you to

Northfleet a disunited Village of 3 Furlongs, with an intermittent Market on Tuesdays, from Easter till Whitsuntide only.

At 22’2. you pass within 4 Furlongs of Cravesend, leaving it and the 2 Wind-Mills and Beacon all on the Left; at 24’1. you Enter Chalk-street about 2 Furl. long, and at 25 M. leave the Church on the Left, ascending Gad's Hill at 26’1. whose rise continues 4 Furl. whence through a Wood you are convey'd to the bottom of the Descent at 28 Miles; a Mile farther Entering Stroud 5 Furlongs upon the Road, but may well pass for the Suburbs of ROCHESTER by its Contiguity to it; to whose Stately Bridg over the fair and Navigable Medway having convey'd you, a short turn on the Left leads you up the Principal Street of this ancient, though now small City, yet well Inhabited and Frequen∣ted: Govern'd by a Mayor, Recorder, 12 Aldermen, 12 Common-Council, &c. Elects Burgesses to Parliament, gives Title to the Right Honorable John Wilmot Earl of RO∣CHESTER; Has 2 Markets weekly Wednsdays and Fridays, and 2 Fairs yearly: From the East Gate continued Buildings bring you to the brink of the Medway on the Left, and so into Chetham vulgo Chatham, well known, as by its Vicinity to ROCHESTER, so for its Eminent Dock, and as it were the Repository of the Navy Royal: Thus this City which we call small, may be accounted 2’5. long; since we leave Chatham but at 31’5. where a small descent succeeded by a larger Rise, and a direct Road, but some∣what Woody, brings you at 35 Miles to Raynham a Village of 2 Furlongs, followed by discontinued Houses for about a Mile together.

At 37’7. you Enter Newington Street, about 2 Furlongs, and pass through Key Street another Village; whence discontinued Buildings bring you at 41 Miles to the midle of the long Town of Sittingborn, Noted only as a well Accommodated through-fare, with 2 annual Fairs; the several Roads past on the Left, leading to Milton a Market Town on the S.W. of the Isle of Shepway, about a Mile distant; whence through several Villages, as Bapchild at 42’1. Radfield Street at 43 Miles, and Green Street at 43’6. you come to the top of an Eminent Ascent at 45’5. whereon stands Ospring Beacon, at the foot of the Hill the acute on the Left leads to Feversham, 12 Furlongs distant a large and well fre∣quented Market and Post-Town; whence little presents, till passing Bocton Church on the Right, a descent of 3 Furlongs leads into Bocton or Bauton-Street, alias Bauton under Blean from the adjacent Hill so call'd, its a good through-fare of 4 Furlongs length.

Being come to the top of the Blean at 51’5. a Woody open way carries you over the Hill to the bottom of the descent at 55’1. whence passing by scattered Houses, and through Harpledown, at 55’6. you Enter CANTERBURY, a City every way Emi∣nent, being equally Antient and Honorable; said to be Built 900 years before Christs Time; and with the first Plantation of Religion among the English by Austin the Monk made an Archi-Episcopal See, the Arch-Bishop whereof is at this day accounted Pri∣mate and Metropolitan of all ENGLAND, and is the first Peer of the Realm: Ac∣counting 76 Bishops to his Present Grace Gilbert by Divine Providence Lord Arch-Bishop of CANTERBURY: This City Pleasantly seated on the Stour, shews one of the Stateliest Cathedrals in England; Numbers 14 Parish Churches, is Govern'd by a Mayor, Recorder, 12 Aldermen, and 24 Common-Council, &c. Has Election of Bur∣gesses to Paliament, and 2 Markets Weekly, Wednsdays and Saturdays, and 4 Fairs annually.

Leaving CANTERBURY at 57’2. you pass Bishops-Court Bridg at 59’4. and from 60. to 61. Sr. Anthony Auchers Park on the Right; so over Barham Down and an ascent at 63 Miles, an Enclos'd way brings you to Lydden a small Village, whence passing through a Vale at 68’6. you come to Ewel, and so to Buckland at 70 Miles, Entering Dover at 71’1. a place Eminently Fortify'd both by Art and Nature, and Defended by a large and strong Castle; Enjoys large Immunities, is one of the Cinq-Ports; and gives Title to the Right Honorable John Carew Earl of Dover: Yields a Prospect to Calais in France, to which it is the readiest Passage; the Chanel here being but 7 Leagues over: Is Govern'd by a Mayor, 12 Jurats, 37 Common-Council, &c. Had once 7, now but 2 Parish Churches; 2 Markets Weekly, and 1 Fair annually.

Backward Turnings to be avoided.

• 1. At St. Dunstans by CANTERBURY the Right.
• 2. The Right in Stroud to Frinsbury.
• 3. The Left at the End of Stroud to Cobham.

Notes

• Counties past through. Rivers crost over.
• The quality of the way.
• Acute turnings to be a∣voided.
• LONDON. S.S.W.
• [1’1. S.S.E.]
• [4’0. E.]
• New-Cross. 4’4.
• Deptford 5 m.
• Wellen 11’0. Crayford 13’5.
• Dartford 15’2.
• North-Fleet 21 m.
• Chalk-street 24’1. [25 m. E. b S.]
• [28’ ••. E. b N.] Strond 29. m.
• [29’2. S. S. E.] [29’7. E. S. E] ROCHESTER; 0 m.
• Chetham 31’3.
• Raynham 35’1.
• Newington-street 38 m.
• Sittingborn 41 m.
• Bapchild 42’1. Radfield Street 43 m. Green Street 43’6.
• Bauton-street 46’2.
• [55’3. E.] [55’5. S. E. b S.] [56’4. S. W.] CANTERBƲRY 56’2. [56’6. S. E. b S.
• 〈…〉〈…〉 5. S. b E.]
• Ewel 68’6. Buckland 70 m. Dover 71’4.