Produced by Juliet Sutherland, Taavi Kalju and the Online Distributed Proofreaders Europe at http://dp.rastko.net. [Illustration: OLD HALF-TIMBERED HOUSES IN LEDBURY. From Water Color by B. McGuinness.] British Highways and Byways From a Motor Car BEING A RECORD OF A FIVE THOUSAND MILE TOUR IN ENGLAND, WALES AND SCOTLAND BY Thos. D. Murphy With Sixteen Illustrations in Colour and Thirty-two Duogravures From Photographs; Also Two Descriptive Maps. BOSTON L.C. Page & Company MDCCCCVIII _Copyright_, 1908 BY L.C. PAGE & COMPANY (INCORPORATED) _All rights reserved_ A FOREWORD In this chronicle of a summer's motoring in Britain I have not attempted a guide-book in any sense, yet the maps, together with the comments on highways, towns, and country, should be of some value even in that capacity. I hope, however, that the book, with its many illustrations and its record of visits to out-of-the way places, may be acceptable to those who may desire to tour Britain by rail or cycle as well as by motor car. Nor may it be entirely uninteresting to those who may not expect to visit the country in person but desire to learn more of it and its people. Although our journey did not follow the beaten paths of British touring, and while a motor car affords the most satisfactory means of reaching most of the places described, the great majority of these places are accessible by rail, supplemented in some cases by a walk or drive. A glance at the maps will indicate the large scope of country covered and the location of most places especially mentioned in the text. It was not a tour of cities by any means, but of the most delightful country in the world, with its towns, villages, historic spots and solitary ruins. Whatever the merits or demerits of the text, there can be no question concerning the pictures. The color-plates were reproduced from original paintings by prominent artists, some of the pictures having been exhibited in the London Royal Academy. The thirty-two duogravures represent the very height of attainment in that process, being reproductions of the most perfect English photographs obtainable. T.D.M. January 1908. FOREWORD TO SECOND EDITION The first edition of BRITISH HIGHWAYS AND BYWAYS FROM A MOTOR CAR was printed from type--instead of from electrotype plates--thus giving an opportunity for additional care in the press work, with better results than with the ordinary book printed from plates. The publishers thought also that some time might elapse before a second edition would be called for. However, the unexpected happened and in less than a year a new edition is required. This has afforded opportunity for numerous additions and corrections--since it was hardly possible that a book covering such a wide scope could be entirely free from mistakes, though, fortunately, these were mainly minor ones. I have to thank numerous readers for helpful suggestions.