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NOTES from TABLES OF ROADS for SPEED'S ATLAS, 1676
These notes are taken from the itineraries, tables of roads, in an edition of John Speed's atlas, published by Bassett and Chiswell, London, 1676. The item studied is in a private collection, and, as yet, I have only seen photocopies of the loose pages from which data is extracted below.
map type: HantsMap & Speed 1611
The tables of roads cannot be by John Speed.

Publication
The title page of the edition of John Speed's atlas ends:-
... By JOHN SPEED
LONDON: Printed for Thomas Bassett at the George in Fleetstreet, and Richard Chiswell at the Rose and Crown in St. Paul's Church-Yard, 1676.
This edition notes that it includes:-
... The Principal Roads ... with their computed distances. In a new and accurate method.

Hampshire Roads
The tables of roads attempt a diagram of a great road and its branches by clever typesetting. This is tricky to describe! too tricky to reproduce in text. An example:-

The roads involving Hampshire are listed below; places as spelt, county names added.

Western Road
Title, in a plain cartouche upper left:-
The Western-road from London to the Lands-end in Cornwal; and its Branches to several of the principal Towns, with their computed distances..
 
from London; through Staines, Middlesex; bagshot, Surrey; then Hartlerow, Hook, Newnham, Basingstoke, Worting, Tetherton, Whitchurch, Downhurstborn, Andover, Middle-wallop, Hampshire; to Salisbury, Wiltshire; and beyond to Senan, Cornwall ie Lands End.
 
branch from Salisbury, Wiltshire; through Cranborn, Poole, Ifford, Christchurch, Dorset; then Somerford, Milton, Evelton, Efford, to Limington, Hampshire.
 
branch from Salisbury, Wiltshire; through Rumsey, Upton, to Southampton, Hampshire.
 
branch from Salisbury, Wiltshire; across a corner of Hampshire; to Oxford, Oxfordshire.
 
branch from Basingstoke, through Cranborn, Sutton, Stockbridge, Broughton, West Tetherley, East-Dean, Hampshire; then through Dunkton, Wiltshire; Cranborn, Blandford, Dorchester to Weymouth, Dorset.
 
branch from Basingstoke through Kings Clere, Hampshire; then Newbury, Berkshire; to Oxford, Oxfordshire.
 
branch from Bagshot, through Farnham, Surrey; then Aulton, Arlesford, Twyford, Swaland, to Southampton, Hampshire.
 
from London; through Godlaming, Surrey; and Midherst, from whence Chichester, West Sussex; then Petersfield, Langridge, Bordean, Bramdean, to Winchester, Hampshire.

West Road
Title, in a plain cartouche upper right:-
The West-road from London to Bristol; and its Branches to several of the principal Towns, with their computed distances.
 
from London; through Staines, Middlesex; and Bagshot and Farnham, Surrey; then Aulton, Arlesford, Winchester, Pitt, Hursley, Rumsey, Malwood, Ringwood, Hampshire; to Poole, Dorset.
 
branch from Arlesford, through Twiford, to Southampton, Hampshire AND from Southampton, through Upton, Rumsey, Hampshire; to Salisbury, Wiltshire.

South Roads
Title, in a plain cartouche upper right:-
The South-East, South and South-west-roads from London; and its Branches to several of the principal Towns, with their computed distances.
 
from London; through Godlaming, Surrey; then Lipock, Petersfield, Harnden, Portsey-bridge, Hilsey, Kingstone, to Portsmouth, Hampshire.
 
branch from Godlaming, Surrey; to Chichester, West Sussex, branching at Midherst; through Petersfield, Langridge, Bordean, Bramdean, to Winchester, Hampshire.
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MN: 2.12.2002
last edit: 2.12.2002