This work investigates the logistical, social, and physical realities of travel within seventeenth-century England. Joan Parkes, a noted historian of the period, synthesizes a vast array of primary source material, including diaries, government records, and contemporary literature, to reconstruct the experience of movement during this era. The book argues that the development of travel infrastructure was inextricably linked to the political and economic shifts of the seventeenth century, providing a comprehensive framework for understanding how individuals navigated the English landscape.

Historians and scholars frequently cite this work as a foundational text for understanding the social history of early modern England. Readers often note the meticulous use of primary source evidence, which provides a dense and authentic look at the period's daily life.