How our road network was developed.
The infrastructure of the country is like a bloodstream around the body. Like the bloodstream if it works well and flows well then commerce and communication can be perfect for growth. However, if there is a block then the towns and cities we have built could wither and decay. The development of a road system has its origins deep in the past, further back than you could possibly have thought.
The roads that we use now owe their invention and exploration to the Ancient Britons. It was they that sought out the tracts and pathways that connected settlements and allowed them to traverse the dangerous landscape of the UK, filled as it was with bears and wolves. Contrary to popular belief, it was these people who gave us the straight road and not the Romans. The Romans realised that the Celtic people that lived in Britain had the right idea and began to copy them. We still use the routes of the Roman roads to this day. The A417 and A40 being two famous examples.
These stone lined roads were probably better than what they had throughout the Middle ages. They were more like muddy tracks and were based on ancient farm tracks linking field systems. The enclosure acts of the 17 and 18 hundreds meant that roads became even straighter. With the development of concrete and cement a hardened road surface could be made. It led the way to cars and carriages and the Van. As the road was used more, even night time travel became the norm. It’s why we have headlights and Chapter 8 Chevrons to show us where the vehicles are. See vehiclechevrons.com for the options.
