I’ve read a few novels recently where the protagonists make amazingly fast journeys, leaving London in the morning and arriving in York for afternoon tea, or zipping across the Mediterranean in what must be a jet powered sailing ship. It always throws me out of the story. So, in the interests of the pleasure I get from well-researched books, here’s my rule of thumb for early 19th century travel. Times don’t allow for rest, changing horses, storms or other adverse conditions, or particularly fast journeys over a short distance.
Walking: ten miles in 3.5 hours
Carriage or horse: ten miles in 1 hour
Ship: four knots (four nautical miles in 1 hour)
Try these resources as a starting place for further research:
Sarah Waldock on speed of travel in Jane Austen’s England
Teach us history on Travelling in the early 19th century
Royal Museums Greenwich on sailing times in the 18th century
And posts of my own:
All at sea — travelling the Mediterranean