the Great North Road

A stagecoach on the Great North Road (early 19^th century)
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• Roads

• Canals

The major evolution of inland transport was from roads to canals. Roads were inconvenient, and it was safer to transport goods via coastal trade; the construction of several canals in the second half of the 18^th century was necessitated by industrialisation.

The canal near the Etruria works (wood engraving)

[click on the picture to enlarge it]

See also the “Old trades and new trades” article