The Epping Stagecoach
Time Table 1871
Commercial and Mail Coach's calling at Epping in Essex ...
To London
The Stortford Coach at 5 o'clock p.m.
The Fakenham at 8 o'clock a.m.
The Norwich Coach at 9 o'clock a.m.
The Cambridge "Times" at 10 o'clock a.m.
The Cambridge Coach at 2 o'clock p.m.
The Bury Coach at 11 o'clock p.m.
The Swaffham Coach at 8 o'clock p.m.
The "Magnet" from Norwich at 4 o'clock a.m.
The Norwich Mail at 5 o'clock a.m.
The Walden Coach at 2 o'clock p.m.
The Harlow Coach at 9 o'clock a.m.
The Thetford Coach at 9 o'clock a.m.
The Dunmow Coach at 9 o'clock a.m.
From London
The Thetford Coach at 9 o'clock a.m.
The Fakenham at 8 o'clock a.m.
The Cambridge Coach at 12 o'clock a.m.
The Bury Coach at 4 o'clock p.m.
The Cambridge "Times" at 5 o'clock p.m.
The Norwich Coach at 6 o'clock p.m.
The "Magnet" to Norwich at 8 o'clock p.m.
The Swaffham Coach at 8 o'clock p.m.
The Norwich Mail at 10 o'clock p.m.
The Walden Coach at 12 o'clock p.m.
The Harlow Coach at 6 o'clock p.m.
The Stortford Coach at 5 o'clock p.m.
The Dunmow Coach at 9 o'clock a.m.
(From an Almanac published by Mr Griffith, printer & stationer of Epping. Essex)
In 1750 a coach ran through Chipping Ongar 3 times weekly and in 1764 the Ongar 'Crown' landlord sponsored a 'New Machine' to run from Fyfield through Ongar to London. One of these 2 coaches soon ceased, the other continued for nearly the rest of the century.
In addition there were 2 Epping coaches, each performing 2 journeys a day, making the total number of coaches to and from Epping 25 a day. Each coach was driven by four horses, and each called at a particular inn, where the horses would be stabled.
The coach guard played a series of particular calling notes when arriving at the inn. There were also post horses, many of them used by travellers to ride to the Newmarket races.
Other horses were required for the yellow post chaises then in use, as well as for the coaches kept by a number of local county families. These were usually equipped to carry the family and their luggage long distances, so would be drawn by a four-in-hand. Epping by the 1790's was served by coaches making 46 journeys a week.
Purely local services did not develop until end of 18th Century and then only on a small scale.
Without a horse, local people relied on their feet or a carriers cart.
Epping And Ongar Turnpike Trust