On This Day 1745

This is an insight into when a regular coach service that commenced between London and Norwich:

The Norwich Mercury of the day advertised; “There will be a coach and six able horses, set out from the Castle Inn in the Market Place (I believe this was near the current Gentleman’s Walk entrance to the Royal Arcade), Norwich for London, to carry fowles (poultry) and presents as usual, on Sunday morning December 22nd, which will be there for Christmas Eve, and likewise another on Sunday morning 29th to be there on New Year without fail, at the Green Dragon Bishopsgate Street,. London”.  The coaching age had begun and by the following Christmas there were other operators providing the service.  The Christmas coaches became a familiar sight on the Norwich-London road and are immortalised in Robert Seymour’s famous print of 1835, “The Norwich Coach at Christmas Tide”, which shows geese and turkeys festooned from every possible point, and the roof piled high with hampers, with others suspended beneath the coach.