In my last blog post I talked about post coaches, their routes, their availability and their features. But if we talk about post coaches, we must also talk about post houses, and coaching inns. These were the places that post horses were stabled, customers were refreshed with meals or beverages, and clients were offered accommodations ranging from adequate to expansive.
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| from The Old Inns of Old England by Charles G. Harper 1906 |
The established coaching inns/posting houses made good use of newspaper advertising.
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| Northampton Mercury - Saturday 20 April 1805 |
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| Sussex Advertiser - Monday 24 May 1819 |
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| Taunton Courier, and Western Advertiser - Thursday 09 September 1819 |
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| Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette - Thursday 19 November 1801 |
But it seems that the hospitality industry, in the Regency as well as today, was a high-pressure business, prone to frequent turn-overs in ownership and management. The newspapers carried many advertisements for lease opportunities of coaching and post inns.
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| Bristol Mirror - Saturday 24 February 1816 |
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| Chester Courant - Tuesday 03 July 1804 |
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| Gloucester Journal - Monday 12 January 1807 |
Business was not always straightforward. Dirty tricks were as prevalent in the past as they are in the present day.
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| Leeds Intelligencer - Monday 09 October 1809 |
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| Sussex Advertiser - Monday 24 May 1819 |
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| The Old Inns of Old England by Charles G. Harper 1906 |
Despite the charm of the aged buildings, the beauty of the roses round the windows, and our image of the romance of inn-keeping, the business was hard with long hours and heavy work in both inn and stable. It wasn't an easy life, that of 'mine host'.
'Til next time,
Lesley-Anne
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