These newspaper advertisements show that Oxford was an important centre for coach services to many parts of the country during the first four decades of the nineteenth century. There were two routes between Oxford and London. The shortest route went through Wheatley and High Wycombe. Benson was on the second route via Henley and Maidenhead, which was four miles longer, but often preferred. Coaches travelling between Birmingham and London also used the road between Oxford and Henley, so they could have changed horses at Benson.

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The Prince of Wales post coach ran in 1820 daily via Oxford & Henley to London from Birmingham. As late as 1830, there were two coaches, named Phoenix and Rocket operating an overnight service between Birmingham and London. They left every evening at half past five, calling at the Hen and Chickens Hotel, Birmingham, passing through Oxford, Henley-on-Thames, and arriving at the Blur Boar, Holborn early next morning.

The Triumph coach also operated between Birmingham and London. It left every evening at three o’clock, calling at the Hen and Chickens Hotel, Birmingham, through Oxford, Henley-on-Thames, and arrived at the Spread Eagle, Gracechurch Street early the same evening.

By 1840, the coaching companies were being affected by competition from the railways, but there were still about twenty stage coaches and carriages passing through Benson daily. (See the coaching timetable for Benson in 1839 below.)

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