| § I THE ROAD IN GENERAL |
| | | Page |
| CHAPTER I | The Origin of Roads |
| How Did the Road Come into Existence: The Experimental or the Scientific Method: The Haphazard Road: The Case for Design in Road Construction | 3 |
| CHAPTER II | The Crossing of Marsh and Water |
| Physical Factors Modifying the Formula of the Road: Marsh as the Chief Obstacle to Travel: The Political Results of Marshes: The Crossing of Water Courses: The Origin of the Bridge: The Effect of Bridges upon Roads: The Creation of a Nodal Point: The Function of the Nodal Point in History | 13 |
| CHAPTER III | Passability |
| The Choice of Soils: Following the Gravel or the Chalk: Conditions in the South and East: The Obstacle of Gradient: The Early Vogue of Steep Gradients: “The Other Side of the Hill”: The Modern Importance of Gradient: Passes or Gaps in Hill Country | 33 |
| CHAPTER IV | The Obstacle of Vegetation |
| The Special Expenditure due to Forest: Roads which Skirt Woodlands: Roads which have been Deflected by Forest: Proximity of Material as a Final Main Cause Modifying the Trajectory of a Road: Cost of Transporting Material and its Effects in Ancient and Modern Times | 47 |
| CHAPTER V | Political Influences |
| The Factor of Cost Resulting in the “Strangling of Communication”: Congestion which leads to decay: A Great Modern Problem: The Compulsory Acquisition of Land: Old Roads Serving New Objects | 56 |
| CHAPTER VI | The Reaction of the Road |
| The Physical Effects of Roads: The Way in Which the Road Compels Communication to follow it: The Formation of Urban Centres and the Urban Habit: The Spread of Ideas by Means of Roads: History Deflected by the Deflection of the Road: The Example of Shrewsbury and Chester: Towns which are Maintained by Roads: The Road in Military History: Results of the Decay of Roads: The Road as a Boundary | 63 |
| § II THE ENGLISH ROAD |
| CHAPTER VII | The Road in History |
| Through the Dim Ages: The Characteristics of the English Road: Absence of Plan: A Local instead of a National System Leading to the Present Crisis | 81 |
| CHAPTER VIII | The “Blindness” of English Roads |
| The Two Causes Governing the Development of English Roads—Waterways and Domestic Peace: The Relation of the English Road to Military Strategy | 92 |
| CHAPTER IX | Five Stages |
| The “Potential” in Political Geography Examples: The Primitive Trackways: The Roman Road System: The Earlier Mediaeval Period: The Later Mediaeval Period: The Turnpike Era | 107 |
| CHAPTER X | The Trackways |
| The Three Divisions of the British Pre-Roman Road System—the System of which Salisbury Plain was the “Hub”: The System Connected with London: Cross-Country Communications—The Three Factors which Have Determined Travel in Britain | 116 |
| CHAPTER XI | The Making of the Roman Road |
| The Great Initiative: The Mark of the Roman Military Engineer: The Theory and Practice of the Straight Line: Modifications of the Straight Line: How it was Carried Out: The Method of Odds and Evens | 133 |
| CHAPTER XII | The Dark Ages |
| The Decline of the Roman Road: The Period at its Occurrence: Gaps: Roman Roads which Fell into Disuse: The Relationship of the Modern to the Roman System: Watling Street: Stane Street: The Short Cut Between Penkridge and Chester: Peddars Way: The Coming of the New Civilization in the Twelfth Century | 147 |
| CHAPTER XIII | Wheeled Traffic and the Modern Road |
| The Transition from the Horse to the Vehicle: The Distinctive Mark of the Later Seventeenth Century: The Turnpike System: The Underlying Idea of the Turnpike: Its Decline and the First Emergence of the General National System in 1810: Thomas Telford and His Work: The Movement Connected with the Name of Macadam: The Coming of the Locomotive and its Results on Canals and Roads | 179 |
| CHAPTER XIV | The Future |
| A New Vehicle Compelling us to Make New Roads: Arterial Roads for the New Traffic: The Five Necessities of these Roads: Ways and Means: A National Fund: Taxation according to Fuel Used: The Question of the Land Contiguous to the New Roads | 194 |
