Chard Turnpike Trust                    (updated 23rd Sept 2013)

The main post road through Chard was included in the 1753 Act, turnpiking the road from Lower Compton, to the east of Sherbourne, through Chard to Axminster. The Somerset part of the road was administered a Division of the Trust and became an independent Trust in 1776, when roads radiating to the North and West of Chard were added. The roads around Crewkerne formed a new Trust in 1829, when a further road to the SE was added to the Chard Trust. Thus it progressed from a simple main road trust to be become a town centred network of roads. Its main responsibilities were (a) the western section of the Post Road through mid-Somerset and (b) a network of roads radiating from the market town into SW Somerset and Devon.

 

J House of Commons - Reports

Petition relating to Sherborne Road Act

1753 March 6th ;

Petition of the gents clergy and freeholders residing near the town of Chard and those frequently travelling the road from Crewkerne to Axminster

That petitioners are apprehensive such roads are not intended to be included; they are the general post road thru the town of Chard, but intended to be thru a village in the Parish of Chard called Perry Street and that road thru Perry Street is not more than a mile and a quarter nearer than thru Chard and that the present goodness and breadth of the road thru the town (the roads being for the most part wide enough already without purchasing any ground) and the convenience of having all materials necessary for repair immediately on the spot, would make full amends for this small difference and might  put in good repair at less expense than the road through Perry Street, for which ground must be purchased for widening the road for the space of several miles and that should a turnpike be erected and the road carried thru Perry St, the petitioners apprehend the same will be attended with extreme bad consequences to petitioners of Chard and that intended road should be thru Chard being the general post road from London to Exon

f to C 6; Report and instruction to make provision 8 ;

In support of 2 allegation;

Mr Simon Bradford and George Warry said that a large market is held a Chard and that a great trade in Woollen Manufactures is carried on in and about the town and that Chard stands on the Great Post Road from London to Exeter, Plymouth and Falmouth that the Perry Street is a mile and quarter from Chard and that the soil of the said roads thru Perry Street is chiefly clay and materials for repairing road are some distance and for considerable way it is not above 7, 8 or 12 feet wide and that road thru Chard is considerably wider and may be effectually widened and repaired for £250 less than Perry Street road

For the Second allegation Mr Andrew Nappier and John Newman were examined and said, that the roads from Ilminster to Sparkford Bridge and to the South side of Kingsdon Hill and publick highways and are in a ruinous condition.

Bill report 17 Mar passed 23 Lors 30 Royal ascent 17 Apr 5

 

(The original plan was to use the old Fosse way to the SE of Chard (the road selected by Ogilby in his 1675 map), but this petition was successful in bringing the turnpike road through the town)

List of Acts

Sherborne

Created as part of Sherborne to Axminster road

26 Geo2 c60

1753

Chard

Splits into 2 Divisions

17 Geo3

1776

 

 

Improving the route around Street Ash

40 Geo3 c93

1800

 

 

New route to Upottery on Honiton Ilminster road

55 Geo3 c60

1815

 

 

Removal of Crewkerne Roads and adding road to Winsham

10 Geo4

1829

1860

 

correction

11 Geo4

1830

1860

 

Expired

 

 

1875

Chard 1800

An Act for repealing Two Acts, one made in the Twenty-sixth Year of the Reign of King George the Second, and the other in the Seventeenth Year of the Reign of His present Majesty, for repairing the Road from the Halfway House, in the Parish of Lower Compton, in the County of Dorset, through the Towns of Yeovil, Crewkerne, and Chard, to the East End of the Town of Axminster, in the County of Devon, and several other Roads therein mentioned; and also for repealing so much of an Act, made in the Eighteenth Year of the Reign of His present Majesty, for repairing several Roads leading from the Town of Taunton, in the County of Somerset, as relates to repairing the Road from the Direction Post in Widcombe Moor, through Street Ash Lane to Chard, and for making more effectual Provision for those Purposes; and for altering and diverting certain Parts of the said Roads. [20th June 1800.]

Chard 1815

An Act for repealing an Act of His present Majesty, for the Repair of several Roads in the Counties of Somerset, Devon, and Dorset, leading to the Town of Chard, in the County of Somerset; and for making and repairing a Road from Chard to the Honiton Turnpike Road, in the Parish of Upottery, in the County of Devon, and for more effectually repairing the Residue of the Roads comprised in the said Act. [25th May 1815.]

divided into Two Districts called " The First District" and " The Second District," which said Second District comprises the Road leading from Hasleborough Bridge in the County of Somerset, through the Towns of Crewkerne and Chard, through a certain Lane called Stoney Lane to the East End of the Town of Axminster, in the Country of Devon, and the Roads from the West End of the said Town of Chard, to the Honiton Turnpike Road at Cheeseway Ash, and from Whitedown in the County of Somerset, through Perry Street, to Tytherleigh Inn in the County of Dorset, and also the Road from the Red Lion Corner in Chard aforesaid, to Street Ash Lane in the Parish of Combe Saint Nicholas, and from hence through the several Parishes of Combe Saint Nicholas, Buckland Saint Mary, Bickenhall, Curland, and Staple Fitzpaine, in the County of Somerset, to the Taunton Turnpike Road at Staple Pound, in the said Parish of Staple Fitzpaine :

 And whereas the Road leading from the West End of the Town of Chard, in the County of Somerset, to the Honiton Turnpike Road at Cheeseway Ash, in the County of Devon, being Part of the Roads comprised in the said Second District, is very hilly, and in some Places narrow and incommodious ; and it would greatly facilitate and improve the Communication between the Towns of Chard and Honiton and the adjoining Places, and also be of public Utility, if the Course or Direction of the said Road were diverted and made to pass through the several Parishes of Chard and Combe Saint Nicholas in the County of Somerset, Wambrooke and Chardstock in the County of Dorset, and Yarcombe and Upottery in the County of Devon, to join the present Turnpike Road leading from Honiton to Ilminster, at or near a certain Place called Rawridge Hill in the said County of Devon : And whereas it is expedient that the said recited Act, so far as it relates to the Roads comprised in the said Second District, should be repealed, and that Provision should be made for amending, widening, altering, and keeping in Repair the same Roads (except that from the Weft End of the Town of Chard aforesaid, to the Honiton Turnpike Road at Cheeseway Ash aforesaid, from the Repairs of which it is proposed the Trustees of this Act should be discharged) and for making, amending, widening, and keeping in Repair a Road from the Weft End of the Town of Chard aforesaid, through the several Parishes of Chard, Combe Saint Nicholas, Wambrooke, Chardstock, Yarcombe, and Upottery, aforesaid, to join the present Turnpike Road from Honiton to Ilminster, at or near Rawridge Hill aforesaid, in lieu of the Road so intended to be discontinued :

Chard 1829

An Act for more effectually repairing and improving several Roads which lead to and through the Town and Borough of Chard in the County of Somerset; and for making and maintaining a new Road from Chard to Drempton in the County of Dorset. [22d May 1829.]

Chard 1830

An Act for amending an Act of the last Session, intituled An Act for more effectually repairing and improving several Roads which lead to and through the Town and Borough of Chard in the County of Somerset, and for making and maintaining a new Road from Chard to Drempton in the County of Dorset; and for making and maintaining other Roads communicating with the said Roads in the Counties of Somerset, Devon, and Dorset. [29th May 1830.]

 

Select Committee on State of Roads 1840

Charles Benjamin Tucker of Chard (clerk to the trust) reported

There are 43 miles 4 furl. of road through ? parishes – all repaired by the trustees (except about a mile in Chard)

7 toll gates and 4 side bars

The roads are stated to be in “fair” repair excepting the road towards Bridport which is insufficient width, but there is much required to be done– no part under indictment for want of repair.

 

In “Return of length of road in each Turnpike Trust in England & Wales” Parl. Papers 1847-48 – (dated May 1848)

Trust reported 43 miles 3 furl. 44 yds (similar to 1840)

List of Roads

(Road identified and mapped in “Somerset Roads – the Legacy of Turnpike, by Bentley and Murless 1985”)

A30 from Devon border to Lady’s down

A358 from Axminster (Devon) to Chard

B3167 from Devon border to A30 on White down

B3162 Chard to Greenham

Sections of several minor roads radiating from Chard and off A30

 

 

Click here for a map of Somerset Turnpike Roads

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Return to Turnpikes in Somerset general page

 


Known Tollhouses (extracts from Tollhouse National database)  11 sites identified of the 7 reported by the Trust in 1840 (when the trust had lost the eastern section to Crewkerne with its 2 gates) (survivors in bold)

Road Classification Number

Route

GATE NAME

OS Grid Ref- Prefi

Easting

Northing

District

Civil Parish

Location (Name or Number)

Road or Street (see across)

Position

Evidence

erected by (Turnpike Trust or Authority)

Revised 23rd Sept 2013

UC road

Chard to Combe St Nicholas

Crimchard

ST

31777

09384

SOSS

CHARD TOWN

Turnpike Cottage

Crimchard, jct with Catchgate Lane

opp. Bew Lane

; ; Turnpike Trust Returns 1824; advert for lease of tolls 1826.;

Chard

UC road

Street Ash to Staple Fitzpaine

Curland

ST

27

17

SOTA

CURLAND

assume at jct where road diverted

 

 

; ; Turnpike Trust Returns 1824;

Chard

A30

Yeovil to Crewkerne

Eastham's

ST

45624

10652

SOSS

MERRIOTT

Eastham's Gate Farmhouse

Yeovil Road

on open road, west of Haselbury Plucknett

OS 1st Series; ; ;

Chard

A30

Yeovil to Crewkerne

Haselbury

ST

458

109

SOSS

MERRIOTT

Haselbury Old Bridge was original terminus of Chard Trust - transferred to Crewkerne in 1825.

Two gates shown on OS; this was replaced by Easthams Gate in 1831 but both shown?

OS 1st Series; ; Turnpike Trust Returns 1824; advert for lease of tolls 1826.;

Chard

A30

Crewkerne to Chard

Lady's Down

ST

38

09

SOSS

WEST CREWKERNE

Lady's Down is mentioned as terminus of Chard trust in 1829

 

; ; ;

Chard

A30

Crewkerne to Chard

Roundham

ST

425

096

SOSS

WEST CREWKERNE

this section was originally Chard Trust but transferred to Crewkerne in 1825.

 

; ; Turnpike Trust Returns 1824;

Chard

A30

Chard to Honiton

Snowdon

ST

31282

08710

SOSS

CHARD TOWN

Turnpike Cottage

Snowdon Hill, High Street

jct with Lower Wambrook Road

OS 1st Series; ; Turnpike Trust Returns 1824; advert for lease of tolls 1826.; old picture

Chard

UC road

Birdsmoor Gate to Chard

Thorncombe Thorne

ST

37240

02924

DOWD

THORNCOMBE

Turnpike Cottage

High Street

crossroads SW of village

; ; ;

Chard

A358

Axminster to Chard

Tytherleigh

ST

318

033

DVED

CHARDSTOCK

Tytherleigh

Broom Lane jct

old postcard shows simiar to Snowdon Hill in design

; ; ; old picture

Chard

A358

Axminster to Chard

Weycroft

ST

305

996

DVED

AXMINSTER

Chard Road

Weycroft at jct with Lodge Lane

Now open area beside old mill buildings; Greenwood map puts it between Millbrook and Avoncroft Mill

; Greenwood Devon (1827); Turnpike Trust Returns 1824; advert for lease of tolls 1826.;

Chard

A30

Crewkerne to Chard

Windwhistle

ST

3832

0967

SOSS

CUDWORTH

Toll House

Crewkerne Road

E of Windwhistle PH, opp. London Lodge Farm

; ; Turnpike Trust Returns 1824;

Chard

 

Known Milestones

In the Milestone Society Database, 6 milestones are identified along this road, mostly on the A30, A358 and B3162, most in a designs referred to as Chard Tombstone. Based on the mileage reported by the Trust in 1840, would expect 44.