Victorian Transportation
How To Get Around in Nineteenth Century London
Before cars and trucks—lorries, if you like—graced the narrow and winding streets of London, most people got around on foot. Only the wealthy could afford a private carriage. The middle class could take a hired coach, of course, but there were a few other alternatives.
Wherries
The River Thames winds its way through the city of London, which makes it a convenient pathway to travel. Now, if you couldn’t afford a carriage, you probably couldn’t afford a boat either, but not to worry. Simply hire a waterman to take you on a wherry, which is a small rowing boat. During the later half of the century these were replaced by paddle steamers, which carried up to several million passengers a year (but not all at one time, mind you).
Cabriolets
More commonly called a cab, this mode of transportation came from Paris and soon overtook London as a great way to get around because they were small enough to fit on the city’s narrow streets. Even rich ladies and gents sometimes hailed a cab for a short jaunt.
The Omnibus
First appearing in 1829, the omnibus was a precursor to the trolley. These were large horse-drawn carriages that traveled along a set route (like a bus route), picking up and dropping off passengers. This form of transportation was popular amongst the middle class. Those with less funding couldn’t afford the fare and the upper classes either hired a hackney or owned their own carriage. An omnibus was an enclosed vehicle with four windows and was toted about by one or two horses. Passengers sat on benches lining each side, entering via a door at the back, or they could climb up to sit on exposed seats up top. The driver rode at the front of the carriage with a conductor assisting and taking fares from passengers at the rear.
Horse Trams
Starting in 1870, trolley-type cars began to appear, pulled by horses on rails. This gave way eventually to electrified trolleys, but in the mean time this allowed working-class Londoners a reliable mode of transportation.
The Tube
The Metropolitan Railway used steam locomotives that pulled gas-lit wooden carriages through underground tunnels. Beginning in 1863, the first stretch was merely three-and-three-quarter miles, but though small, it was a success. On opening day a whopping 38,000 passengers gave it a whirl. Within a year, that number was up to 9.5 million people—and so the London subway was birthed into the monster it is today.
These are a sampling of ways to get around Victorian London. In my new release, The Bride of Blackfriars Lane, Kit and Jackson scamper about town in tunnels and cabs and nearly get themselves banned from the omnibus. If you’d like to read of their shenanigans, enter the rafflecopter and you just might win yourself a signed copy!