The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1906-10-25

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4 lie AnsIeilt Yvihelle,t - Cast EI,lity
HtEhj1ny, Vghfrh cpunta It's .AiEe ~
Thonsanda Of Years.
There runs from Winchester 70 Cans
terbury prehistoric track which =
orotsably the Oldest memorial OF mems
\ action in England. It IS certainly old
er than tie Romnn6 that IS, It IS GER
/ tainly 1000 years old, and how much
older Il may he than that we have no
! way OF telling, but we do know that
| Winchester and Canterbury must have
I been the two great ceuters Of the ma
tional life In the old barbarian times
1 before the Romans came, and we may
therefore suppose without too much
temerity that this road is almost CO.
eval with the existence Of organized
human life in Great Britain.
Two years ago explored this road
thoroughly. The whole distance is
about 100 miles, and of that one may
/ say that antiquarlans had discovered,
before my friends and I understood Its
thorough exploration, about three-quar-
tiers. OF the remaining quarter some
part was doubtful and the rest nm
known. but this unknown part did not
make one continuous stretch. 1t was
pieced In, as it were, along the length
Of the way, a bit here ana "a bit there.
Thus one would have ten or fifteen
miles along which the old British road
correspondent with the modern high
way; then would come perhaps two
miles of doubtful lane, the history Of
which had to be read and the direction
noted before one could be certain that
1t was really part Of the old road; then
after that would come. say. half a mile
of pure waste heath or marsh or for
est, In which nothing but a most care.
full examination. the records of old
maps. the evidence OF place names, and
so forth, helped one to identify the
track of the British way; then the
highway would appear agnin, cofncid'
ing with the old trail, and so forth
long known or obvious bits coming In
between short doubtful or unknown
bits. until after infinite pains we built !
up the whole of the original track with |
tile doubtful exception of few hun
dred yards.
1t may interest my readers to know I
what causes chiefly preserved this !
road and what have tended to its OhIit- I
Grafton
>, The causes which preserved it We're 4
three In the first place, it ran for the /
main part along the chalk hills which
are known as the North downs, just I
above the level of cultivation. and
chalk is an excellent preservative for
Il road of this kind. 1t takes the im-
preston of passing traffic. the weight
of which makes sort OF platform
along the hillside. 1t is not easy to
cultivate, and people do not build upon
Its heights Moreover. chalk does not
wash away. so that such a road, once
formed. would remain for centuries.
the road was the system of turnpike
which was introduced, I think. about
200 years ago and lasted until our own
time Men naturally tried to avoid the
turnpike if they were on horseback or
IL they We're drovers. and they woilld
turn on the good turnpike roads of the
valley. where they had to pay ut every
gate, and go along the old free road
above the hills.
And. thirdly, the pilgrimage to the
tomb of st Thomas at Canterbury,
which spr;mg up about 700 years ago,
helped tile surv-.:il of the
road Winchester was beginning To
FALL into decay when this pilgrimage
arose and Canterbury was no longer
very important town, but when thoH
sands of men had occasion to go from
he west of England to Canterbury on
pilgrimage Winchester became tie
natural meeting place, and the road
rom Winchester TO Canterbury once
gain grew in Importance. Churches
md villages sprang mp along it. trIdi-
ions and legends began to cling to it,
md one way and another the memory
Il It was saved for history and for
ourselves.
l have said tHat there We're many
Dllces where the road was almost or
Entirely lost. The n@iu cause of this
vas cultivation 81 the population
grew denser it became necessary to
dow up the poorer land high mp on
he hillside. and as these old roads
we're not metaled in any way the
moment their surface was plowed up
10 trace of the road could possibly re-
main. Another cause was the forma
ion OF the great parks which rich men
,cgau to inclose and to wall around
bout 100 years ago and later. IF n
ich man took II fancy to "A bit OF
round which used to he common and
Trough which the old road Went he
you'd put n wall round it and turn it
lto u park and divert the right of
way by n special act of parliament
ound his new property. There are
OF this all along the old road |
as, for instance. at Lord Stauhope's
dFk at NHeNeLllHtS,H Ut the A%tsFeSOiA- !.
towers place Mt 'ritsey. at Lord Ger
rd's park ut Eastwell und many Other
laces.
The old road would also be lost over !
larshy ground. and now and then,
mt very rarely. modern buildings I
you'd appear on IT. and then, of
curse. 1t was impossible to track 1t
ut unless one could get "A record of ;
That the ground was like before the