London’s Transport From Roman Times to the Present Day

Transport systems are the lifeblood of all great cities and this is certainly true of London. As far back as Roman times, their city Londinium was the hub of a network of roads leading out to all the major centres of the time. It was the Romans who gave the city its first bridge across the Thames and its first paved roadways. This book tells the story of London’s roads and bridges and the vehicles that used them. For centuries, transport meant horse drawn vehicles, from lumbering waggons to elegant carriages and the city had a flourishing industry, building carriages. The Industrial Revolution brought major changes, not least in the construction of more and more bridges over the Thames. In the 19th century a new system appeared with the arrival of the railways, and the many stations that are such prominent features of the cityscape. The story continues into the 20th century, when, for a time, the city was also home to some pioneering motor car manufacturers, such as Vauxhall. It comes nearer our time with the construction of the underground railway and the driverless trains of the Dockland Light Railway. Londoners will have a chance to find out just how travel around the city has changed in the last two thousand years. AUTHOR: Anthony Burton has been writing about the history of transport and technology for fifty years. His books include Remains of a Revolution, The Railway Builders, The Locomotive Pioneers and biographies of Thomas Telford, George and Robert Stephenson and a biography of Marc and Isambard Brunel (due to be published in 2022). He has worked extensively in TV and most recently as historical adviser to the Discovery Channel series Industrial Revelations, More Industrial Revelations and On the Rails.
70 colour, 70 b/w illustrations