Staines was a regular staging post with coaching inns. It was used for an overnight horse change on The Trafalgar Way in 1805, announcing the victory over the combined French and Spanish fleet and the death of Nelson. Samuel Lewis mentions the place in his 1848 "Topographical Dictionary of England", saying that "The town, which has been much improved of late, consists principally of one wide street, containing several good houses, terminating at the river."