JANUARY , 2021
A TRAVELLER ’ S GUIDE TO VICTORIAN ENGLAND By : Liese Sherwood-Fabré
For the sophisticated V i c t o r i a n traveler , the latest edition of Bradshaw ’ s was a must . Not only did it include a complete listing of all train departure and arrival times , the book also provided a myriad of information on each destination listed , from places to stay to places to see .
George Bradshaw first published his railway timetable in 1839 , following the introduction of railways in Britain . ( 1 ) As described by Michael Portillo ( more about him below ), the system was “ higgledy-piggledy ; free-enterprise rampant , lines everywhere , no planning or coordination .” The timetable , then , was a must for Victorians to get
around in a time before cars , or in some cases , even roads .” Beginning with the second year , supplemental material was sold to keep the timetables up to date , and over time the publication was expanded to include maps , illustrations , and other descriptions of towns serviced by the railways and became Bradshaw ’ s Descriptive Railway Handbook . By 1898 , the original eightpage book had grown to 946 pages . ( 2 )
The guide ’ s creator , George Bradshaw ( 1801-1853 ) was an engraver and publisher in Manchester and had already established his reputation with his publication Bradshaw ’ s Maps of Inland Navigation . ( 3 ) Although he contracted cholera while on a trip to Norway and died before leaving the county , ( 4 ) his guides continued to be published until
1961 when the nationalization of the railways , the rise in automobiles , and the creation of a modern highway system all led to a decline in rail travel . ( 5 )
In 2010 , a BBC series by Michael Portillo re-ignited interest in Bradshaw ’ s guides . Using the 1863 guide , Portillo travelled across Britain , visiting points of interest and hotels mentioned in that edition , making the book an unexpected bestseller in 2012 , in part based on his own enthusiasm for the guide ’ s prose . ( 6 ) Given such useful details , it becomes obvious why Victorians were not likely “ to leave home without it .”® ( 7 )
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