Dr . Woodward’s last two travellers (s.p.b.s) are, I imagine, the best known of their kind; Celia Fiennes (1662 – 1741) and her near contemporary Daniel Defoe (1660 – 1731).
Although Miss Fiennes’ father had been a Parliamentarian colonel during the English Civil Wars the family do not seem to have suffered financially after the Restoration (1660). She retained close links with her family throughout her life and, indeed, the notes written by her on her journeys, riding side-saddle with a servant companion, were only intended for her family to read and it was only in the late 19th century that they were first published for the general readership.
Miss Fiennes travelled not from necessity but because it interested her, although she stated she did it to ‘regain her health’. Normally, back then, travelling was seen as burdensome and to do it for its inherent interest seen as very unusual. Celia could not have been too frail to cope with days riding side-saddle in England’s variable weather conditions and in coping with various terrains.
Like most topographers before her, Celia rode to Hull from Beverley, having ridden there from York. Her note ‘we pass’d thro’ York town by another gate towards Hull’ suggests that signposts were becoming a recent feature of road travel, this in turn heralding the advent of turnpikes and the ‘Great Age of Coaching’. She records that the ‘Caussey’ between Beverley and Hull, along the Hull Valley flood-plain, had drainage channels each side (and presumably a good camber).
Again, like others before her, she entered Hull through Beverley gate but again, like some before her, she muddled her directions ‘We entered Hull from the southward’.
It seemed that her principal memory (Miss Fiennes probably wrote-up her notes after each journey) of the town was of its fortifications (see above).
(to be continued).