This road, already referred to, was to be straight and as flat as engineering science could contrive it, and a portion—that between Edinburgh and Morpeth—was constructed about 1824, going by way of Soutra Hill, Lauderdale, Coldstream, and Wooler. The route between London and Morpeth was also surveyed and authorised, and portions between London and York actually begun, when the opening of the Stockton and Darlington Railway in 1825 convinced the authorities that the days of the road were numbered. But although it was long apparent that a change was impending, coaches were not entirely run off the Great North Road for another twenty years, and Post Office surveyors were still busy expediting the mails over short cuts and roads of more favourable gradients. Thus in 1832 we find the Scotch mail going by way of Selby. Here is the official time-bill for that year:— MILES LONDON dep. 8.00 P.M. 12½ Waltham Cross arr. 9.25 ,, 22 Ware ,, 10.26 ,, 35½ Buckland ,, 11.52 ,, 45½ Arrington ,, 12.57 A.M. 60 Huntingdon ,, 2.30 ,, 65¼ Alconbury Hill ,, 3.03 ,, 72¼ Stilton ,, 3.45 ,, 87 Stamford ,, 5.15 ,, 95 Stretton ,, 6.03 ,, 108½ GRANTHAM arr. 7.23 ,, dep. 8.03 ,, 115½ Long Bennington arr. 8.53 ,, 122¼ Newark ,, 9.30 ,, 132¾ Scarthing Moor ,, 10.34 ,, 145½ Barnby Moor ,, 11.49 ,, 155¼ Rossington Bridge ,, 12.47 P.M. 159½ Doncaster ,, 1.12 ,, 166¼ Askerne ,, 1.55 ,, 179¾ Selby ,, 3.21 ,, 194 YORK arr. 4.54 ,, dep. 5.34 ,, 207¼ Easingwold arr. 6.54 ,, 218 Thirsk ,, 7.58 ,, 227 Northallerton ,, 8.52 ,, 243 Darlington ,, 10.28 ,, 261½ Durham ,, 12.23 ,, 276 NEWCASTLE-ON-TYNE arr. 1.50 ,, dep. 1.53 ,, 290½ Morpeth arr. 3.22 ,, 300½ Felton ,, 4.23 ,, 309¾ Alnwick ,, 5.17 ,, 324½ BELFORD arr. 6.47 ,, dep. 7.17 ,, 329¾ Berwick-on-Tweed arr. 8.47 ,, 353½ Houndswood ,, 10.09 ,,