Good Morning - As a small follow-up to our discussion recently regarding transport, I have just come across the following at Somerset Record Office, copied from a much fuller account on Somerset Travel through the ages: - "Over longer distances the pack-horses travelled in single file teams, and the lanes they used were gradually, over the centuries, worn into deep 'hollowways', especially in hilly districts or where the ground was sandy or soft." If we remember we talked about the tracks left in lanes and how they were caused? If anyone would like a copy of the whole document I will copy and send it to you - it really is quite enlightening. Kind Regards to all - June & Roy http://www.btinternet.com/~roy.cox/index.htm

Hello Roy Can you give the date of this account, please? I attended a lecture, a few years ago now, by a researcher into military matters in, if I remember rightly, the 16th and 17th centuries. He described these hollow ways as military roads. I find it hard to believe that all these hollow ways are either solely packhorse or military. Around my way we have a packhorse bridge over the River Goyt and more than one causeway (large pieces of stone set one after the other along a particular route). I have also seen pictures of some of these crossing the Pennines and have been told that these are part of the salt routes. We also have a path across fields with old cobbles embedded in part of it. You have to look hard for them but they are there. In addition to that, we have a small section of hollow way. I have a feeling that it is, as you have mentioned, a case of what works best in that particular part of the terrain but I also think (personally) that some of these are old township roads, connecting the farms before the turnpikes and other newer roads were made. However, the causeways seem do to be for the pack horses as they are in the right places. On the other hand, we also have an old road near the top of a hill, called Gun Road and a farm a little lower down known as Pistol! Anyone out there an expert in roads and paths in the landscape? Audrey ----- Original Message ----- From: "Roy" <roy.cox@btinternet.com> To: <OLD-ENGLISH-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, March 06, 2004 11:16 AM Subject: [OEL] Turnpikes & Travel > Good Morning - > > As a small follow-up to our discussion recently regarding transport, I have > just come across the following at Somerset Record Office, copied from a much > fuller account on Somerset Travel through the ages: - > > "Over longer distances the pack-horses travelled in single file teams, and > the lanes they used were gradually, over the centuries, worn into deep > 'hollowways', especially in hilly districts or where the ground was sandy or > soft." > > If we remember we talked about the tracks left in lanes and how they were > caused? > > If anyone would like a copy of the whole document I will copy and send it to > you - it really is quite enlightening. > > Kind Regards to all - > > June & Roy > > http://www.btinternet.com/~roy.cox/index.htm > > > > > > > ==== OLD-ENGLISH Mailing List ==== > OLD-ENGLISH Web Page > http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~oel/ > >