British Highways And Byways From A Motor Car | Page 4

beauty of it is that in Britain one has
the means of being thoroughly warned in advance of the road
conditions which he must encounter.
The maps are perfect to the smallest detail and drawn to a large scale,
showing the relative importance of all the roads; and upon them are
plainly marked the hills that are styled "dangerous." These maps were
prepared for cyclists, and many of the hills seem insignificant to a
powerful motor. However, the warning is none the less valuable, for
often other conditions requiring caution prevail, such as a dangerous
turn on a hill or a sharp descent into a village street. Then there is a set
of books, four in number, published by an Edinburgh house and
illustrated by profile plans, covering about thirty thousand miles of
road in England and Scotland. These show the exact gradients and
supply information in regard to the surface of the roads and their
general characteristics. Besides this, the "objects of interest" scattered
along any particular piece of road are given in brief--information at

once so desirable and complete as to be a revelation to an American.
There are sign-boards at nearly every crossing; only in some of the
more retired districts did we find the crossroads unmarked. With such
advantages as these, it is easily seen that a tour of Britain by a
comparative stranger is not difficult; that a chauffeur or a guide posted
on the roads is not at all necessary. The average tourist, with the
exercise of ordinary intelligence and a little patience, can get about any
part of the country without difficulty. One of the greatest troubles we
found was to strike the right road in leaving a town of considerable size,
but this was overcome by the extreme willingness of any policeman or
native to give complete information--often so much in detail as to be
rather embarrassing. The hundreds of people from whom we sought
assistance in regard to the roads were without exception most cheerful
and willing compliants, and in many places people who appeared to be
substantial citizens volunteered information when they saw us stop at
the town crossing to consult our maps. In getting about the country,
little difficulty or confusion will be experienced.
Generally speaking, the hotel accommodations in the provincial towns
throughout England and Scotland are surprisingly good. Of course
there is a spice of adventure in stopping occasionally at one of the
small wayside inns or at one of the old hostelries more famous for its
associations than for comfort, but to one who demands first-class
service and accommodations, a little of this will go a long way.
Generally it can be so planned that towns with strictly good hotel
accommodations can be reached for the night. Occasionally an
unusually comfortable and well-ordered hotel will tempt the motorist to
tarry a day or two and possibly to make excursions in the vicinity. Such
hotels we found at Chester and York, for instance. The country
hotel-keeper in Britain is waking up to the importance of motor travel.
Already most of the hotels were prepared to take care of this class of
tourists, and in many others improvements were under way. It is safe to
say that in the course of two or three years, at the farthest, there will be
little to be desired in the direction of good accommodations in the
better towns. Rates at these hotels are not low by any means--at least
for the motorist. It is generally assumed that a man who is in possession
of an automobile is able to pay his bills, and charges and fees are

exacted in accordance with this idea. There is, of course, a wide
variation in this particular, and taking it right through, the rates at the
best hotels would not be called exorbitant. The Motor Club of Great
Britain and Ireland have many especially designated hotels where the
members of this association are given a discount. These are not in every
case the best in the town, and we generally found Baedeker's Hand
Book the most reliable guide as to the relative merits of the hotels. It is
a poorly appointed hotel that does not now have a garage of some sort,
and in many cases, necessary supplies are available. Some even go so
far as to charge the storage batteries, or "accumulators," as they are
always called in Britain, and to afford facilities for the motorist to make
repairs.
It goes without saying that a motor tour should be planned in advance
as carefully as possible. If one starts out in a haphazard way, it takes
him a long time to find his bearings, and much valuable time is lost.
Before crossing the water, it would be well to become posted as
thoroughly as possible on