Kempton

Dsc_0057

Kempton, formerly known as Green Ponds, was a coaching town, and the highway ran through the middle.

Dsc_0058

The Wilmot Arms was originally a licensed inn. To the left, you can see some people waiting for a coach.

Read more

Hadspen

Along the fifty kilometre stretch between Launceston and Deloraine there are five towns, Hadspen, Carrick, Hagley, Westbury and Exton. Each town originated a coach stop on the road west, or so we were told. I don’t know if that’s true, but this is the old coaching inn at Hadspen.

Red Feather Inn
The Red Feather inn, built in the 1840s. At the time I took this photo, November 2006, it looks like it has fallen out of use, but according to the website it was refurbished and reopened late in 2008.

I’ve seen a couple of mentions that Hadspen was “established” in 1820, but I haven’t found anything that says where that date comes from. Possibly something associated with Entally, which was built the previous year. Most of the buildings in the town date from the 20th century, except for this stretch of street.

Read more

Buckland

Town Sign
HotelYe Olde Buckland Inn. I’m not sure that putting “Ye Olde” on the front is really going to have much effect on visitor numbers though. Obviously it was a coaching inn on the Hobart to East Coast road, built in the 1831 (it says, everywhere else says 1840s). At one time, probably an attractive little sandstone building.

Read more