Carriages

Overview

We at Croft pride ourselves in the quality of our carriages. We feel that in order to fully understand the carriage experience it is beneficial to understand their history.
A carriage is described as a horse-drawn vehicle, especially one designed for private passenger use and for comfort or elegance. It may be light, smart and fast or heavy, large and comfortable.
The word carriage (abbreviated Carr or cge) is from Old Northern French carriage, to carry in a vehicle.
The driver’s seat on a carriage is called the box. Leather straps called braces suspend the body from the springs. The wheels of a carriage revolve upon bearings at the ends of a fixed bar or beam called an axletree. For strength and support, a rod called the backstay extends from either end of the rear axle to the reach.
Some carriages have a folding top called a bellows top or calash.
A horse especially bred for carriage use by appearance and stylish action was called a carriage horse. Breeds included the Cleveland Bay, uniformly bay in color with black points and legs, of good conformation and strong constitution.

A Short History of Carriages

Some horse carts found in Celtic graves show hints that their platform was suspended in a frame, elastically. The Romans in the first century BC used sprung wagons for overland journeys. In the Middle Ages all travelers who were not walking, rode, save the elderly and the infirm. A trip in an unsprung cart over unpaved roads was not lightly undertaken. Closed carriages began to be more widely used by the upper classes in the 16th century. In 1601 a short-lived law was passed in England banning the use of carriages by men, it being considered effeminate. Better sprung vehicles were developed in the 17th century. New, lighter and more fashionably varied conveyances, with fanciful new names, began to compete with one another from the mid-18th century. Coachbuilders cooperated with carvers, gilders, painters, lacquer workers, glazers and upholsterers to produce not just the family’s state coach for weddings and funerals but light, smart, fast, comfortable vehicles for pleasure riding and display.

The Open Top Tourer

Beautifully decorated and finished to a high standard. The green body work is complimented with gold inlay and the interior is delicately and tastefully upholstered in Black leather. Flowers compliment the fold down black hood and add a touch of elegance. The carriage will comfortably sit 4 and so you can be accompanied if you wish.
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Closed Victorian Style 4-SeaterThe Open Top Tourer

Imagine Cinderella, picked up in a beautiful golden carriage. With this in mind you can visualize our yellow/gold coloured carriage, its detail delicately picked out in black and adorned with flowers and lanterns for that late night ride. The interior is upholstered in grey and compliments perfectly the exterior. Flowers cover the rear of the seats and ribbons adorn the wheel arches. It comfortably sits 4 and the windows open for that all important view.
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