Great Britain Cheltenham Cover

TURNPIKE
the term turnpike originated from pikes, which were long sticks that blocked passage until the fare was paid and the pike turned at a toll house (or toll booth in current terminology).

Cheltenham.
1806 Maidenhorn Turnpike (Junction St Paul's & Swindon Road) opened.
1806 Paving Commissioners defined town's limits: North - Winchcombe St turnpike; West Maidenhorn turnpike; East - Hales Rd; South - Sandford Rd & Montpellier Terr, Parabola Rd & Alstone Lane.


Tolls:
"for every horse, one penny; for every coach, sixpence; for every waggon, one shilling; for every cart, eightpence; for every score of sheep or lambs, one half-penny, and so on in proportion for greater numbers; for every score of oxen or neat cattle, five pence; for every score of hogs, twopence"


https://www.parliament.uk/about/liv...npikestolls/

By1849 railways were widespread in England and the lowlands of Scotland. The letter would not have gone via London but could have gone via Birmingham and Derby junction railway, opened 1840. North Midland railway, opened 1840. York and north Midland, opened 1839. York,Newcastle and Berwick railway,the result of amalgamating 3 other railways in 1847. North British railway opened 1846. I am fairly certain Cheltenham would have been on a couple of lines by 1849 but how they got Cheltenham to Birmingham I am not absolutely sure.
The waverley route connecting Carlisle to Edinburgh was not opened till 1862though posibly mail could have gone via Glasgow. the route I mention was considered the "main line" to London to Edinburgh prior to the construction of the lines from London more directly to York.
Transit time for letters around this era seem very fast and equal modern times. I have a cover from the 1850 sent from Hamburg to Edinburgh which arrived on the third day having done two voyages by mail packets and one journey by train. main source own knowledge verified from The Oxford companion to British railway history.
Spa towns Ie places where the water was reputed to have healing properties were not uncommon in this part of England and Wales. Cheltenham spa, Leamington spa, Bath, Malvern, I assume Tenbury wells and Builth wells also had some kind of mineral waters as well.
I'll end with an alleged epitaph on a grave. Here lie I and my three daughters. Died from drinking Cheltenham Waters, We wouldn't be lying in these here vaults. if we'd kept to Epsom salts!

Some of that stuff is pretty vile, especially if you have to glug it every day as part of your cure. I think Harrogate's is the most horribly sulphurous I've tried.

Cheltenham was on the Birmingham and Gloucester Railway.

It looks like the section between Cheltenham and Birmingham Curzon Street was in use from 1841. Curzon Street was also a terminus of the Birmingham and Derby Junction Railway. This and the Birmingham and Gloucester Railway had merged into the Midland Railway by 1846.

Noocassel's route may have been the one followed by the letter.

Thanks Noocassel for all the extra railway info

Again, thanks to everyone for their input. I'll have to revise my documents to better cover this discussion.