Shepton Mallet Turnpike Trust                     (updated 23rd Sept 2013)

This trust was created in 1753. Its main responsibilities were (a) the bath road towards Wells (b) the road towards SW Somerset through Ilchester and (c) a network of roads radiating from the market town into East Somerset.

List of Acts

Shepton Mallet

Creates 2 Divisions of Shepton Mallet Trust – one is the Ilchester Turnpike Road

26 Geo2 c71

1753

 

 

??

28 Geo2 c17

1755

 

 

 

5 Geo3 c104

1765

 

 

New roads to White Post and Glastonbury

20 Geo3 c83

1780

 

 

Batcombe Road

31 Geo3 c120

1791

 

 

Expired

 

 

1878

 

Select Committee on State of Roads 1840

Arthur Constantine Phipps of Shepton Mallet (clerk to the trust) reported

There are 52 and a quarter miles of road through 23 parishes – all repaired by the trustees

16 toll gates and 8 side bars

The roads are stated to be in “good” repair – 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 51 miles 5 furl. 156 yds (similar to 1840)

List of Roads

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

 

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) 23 sites identified of the 16 reported by the Trust in 1840 (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

Revised 23rd Sept 2013

UC road

Doulting to Long Cross

Chelynch side

ST

64934

43999

SOME

CHELYNCH

Toll Cottage

in village, jct with Kings Road

at jct

; ; Turnpike Trust Returns 1824;

A361

Shepton Mallet to Frome

Dean

ST

67938

44162

SOME

CRANMORE

Turnpike Cottage

Slait Hill, E of Dean

jct of Turnpike Lane

; ; Turnpike Trust Returns 1824;

A361

Shepton Mallet to Frome

Cranmore

ST

681

442

SOME

CRANMORE

 

 

 

OS 1st Series; ; Turnpike Trust Returns 1824;

A371

Shepton Mallet to Castle Cary

Butwell

ST

63452

33812

SOME

DITCHEAT

Butwell Gate Toll House

Ansford Bridge

north of bridge

; ; Turnpike Trust Returns 1824;

A37

Shepton Mallet to Ilchester

Pye Hill

ST

6122

3727

SOME

DITCHEAT

The Lodge

Pye Hill, at jct with road to East Pennard

beside crossroads of narrow lanes and main road, behind tall hedge

; ; ;

UC road

Shepton Mallet to Frome

Long Cross

ST

6588

4514

SOME

DOULTING

Toll House

Long Cross

jct of Old From Road, Old Wells Road and road to Chelynch

; ; Turnpike Trust Returns 1824;

A371

Shepton Mallet to Castle Cary

Prestleigh

ST

63

40

SOME

EVERCREECH

Turnpike Cottage, Prestleigh

 

 

; ; ;

A371

Shepton Mallet to Castle Cary

Pecking Mill (with a weighing engine)

ST

63

37

SOME

EVERCREECH

with weighbridge

 

 

; ; Turnpike Trust Returns 1824;

A361

Shepton Mallet to Glastonbury

Glastonbury

ST

5068

3845

SOME

GLASTONBURY

No. 48

Chilkwell Street

opp. WellHouse Lane

; ; Turnpike Trust Returns 1824;

A371

Shepton Mallet to Castle Cary

Lamyatt

ST

63

34

SOME

LAMYAT

 

 

 

; ; Turnpike Trust Returns 1824;

 

Milton

ST

SOME

Milton

 

 

 

; ; Turnpike Trust Returns 1824;

A361

Shepton Mallet to Glastonbury

Whitstone

ST

624

413

SOME

PILTON

Old Toll House (gone)

Whitstone Hill jct with East Compton Road

 

OS 1st Series; ; Turnpike Trust Returns 1824;

A361

Shepton Mallet to Glastonbury

Pilton

ST

6004

4146

SOME

PILTON

 

 

 

OS 1st Series; ; ;

A37

Bristol to Shepton Mallet

Downside

ST

6240

4524

SOME

SHEPTON MALLET

Mendip Lodge

Downside, Bath Road

N of Downside Inn

OS 1st Series; ; Turnpike Trust Returns 1824;

A361

Shepton Mallet to Frome

Foss Lane

ST

63068

43131

SOME

SHEPTON MALLET

Turnpike Cottage, No. 67

Charlton Road

at jct with Fosse Lane; by the Thatched Cottage Inn, part of the residential inn

; ; Turnpike Trust Returns 1824;

A371

Shepton Mallet to Castle Cary

Cannard's Grave

ST

628

418

SOME

SHEPTON MALLET

The Cannards, jct of A37 and A361

 

 

OS 1st Series; ; Turnpike Trust Returns 1824;

A361

Shepton Mallet to Frome

Charlton

ST

63

43

SOME

SHEPTON MALLET

E of Shepton

 

 

; ; Turnpike Trust Returns 1824;

 

Easing Lane (with a weighing engine)

ST

60

44

SOME

SHEPTON MALLET

 

 

 

; ; Turnpike Trust Returns 1824;

B3136

Bristol to Shepton Mallet

Mendip Road  (with a weighing engine)

ST

6

4

SOME

SHEPTON MALLET

 

 

 

; ; Turnpike Trust Returns 1824;

A39

Bath to Wells

Ston Easton

ST

625

550

SOME

STON EASTON

Ston Easton gate

 

 

; ; Turnpike Trust Returns 1824;

A367

Radstock to Shepton Mallet

Stratton

ST

649

486

SOME

STRATTON ON THE FOSSE

Nettlebridgw

 

 

OS 1st Series; ; Turnpike Trust Returns 1824;

B3136

Bristol to Shepton Mallet

Steanbow

ST

6

4

SOME

WESTPENNARD

 

 

 

; ; Turnpike Trust Returns 1824;

A371

Shepton Mallet to Castle Cary

Ansford

ST

640

332

SOSS

CASTLE CARY

Ansford

 

 

; Trust map 1830; ;

 

Known Milestones

In the Milestone Society Database, 29 milestones are identified along this road, mostly on the A361, A367, A37, A371, B3081 and B3161, most in a designs referred to as Top plate casting. Based on the mileage reported by the Trust in 1840, would expect 52.