Great Torrington Turnpike
Road
This trust was created in 1765 as a town-centred Trust covering roads radiating from Great Torrington on both banks of the Torridge. Its primary responsibilities were; (a) the new Exeter and old Hatherleigh Roads into the Torridge Valley from the south (b) a variety of branch roads radiating into Great Torrington from small communities in mid-North Devon.
J House of Commons - Reports
Volume
30
17 Jan 1765 Great
Pet of Mayor, aldermen, principal burgesses of Great Torrington and principal inhabitants residing near
The Road from Great
and from Great Torrington thru Great Torrington and Frithelstock to Tallamy’s Water
And from Great
And from Great
And Great
And Great Torrington over Crawford Moor thru Great Torrington, St Giles, Yarnscombe and Atherington to River Taw in Another at Umberleigh Ford and at Umberligh bridge
And from Gammerton moor in Parish of Bideford, through Biddlerd, Huntshaw, Yarnscombe, St Giles, High Bickington, and Burrington, to Wick Cross Burrington
are ruinous, and in parts narrow and incommodious
21 Jan 1765; Mr Walter reported
List of
Acts
|
Great |
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5 Geo3 c58 |
1765 |
|
|
Great |
|
26 Geo3 c128 |
1786 |
|
|
Great |
|
47 Geo3 c97 |
1807 |
|
|
Great |
|
5 Geo4 c81 |
1824 |
|
|
Great |
|
9 Geo4 c35 |
1828 |
|
|
Great |
|
11 Geo4 c2 |
1830 |
|
|
Great |
Extended under
continuation Act to Nov 1865 |
|
|
|
|
Great |
Abandoned some
roads (34 miles) consider merger with |
28&29 Vic c80 |
1865 |
|
Great
An Act for continuing the
Term and altering and enlarging the Powers of Two Acts of the Fifth and Twenty-sixth
Years of His present Majesty, for repairing several Roads in and near Great
Torrington, in the
Great
An Act for more
effectually improving and keeping in Repair the several Roads in and near Great
Torrington; and to make a new Line of Road on the Western Side of the River Torridge, in the
the said Turnpike Roads shall extend, and be deemed and taken to extend,
from the South End of School Lane in Great Torrington through New Street to Rothern Bridge aforesaid, and from thence to Husk
Hill in Frithelstock
; and also from the said Rothern
Bridge through the Warbys in the
Parish of Frithelstock, and through Monkleigh Wood in the Parish of Monkleigh to
Pit Wood in the said Parish ; and also from the said Rothern
Bridge through the said Parish of Frithelstock
to Tallamy's Water in the said
Parish ; and also from the said South End of School Lane in Great Torrington aforesaid through Calve Street, and from thence through the Parishes of Great Torrington, Saint Giles, and
Beaford to Bedford Town ; and
also from the East End of Calve Street aforesaid through the Parishes of Great Torrington, Saint Giles, and Roborough to Roborougb
Town ; and also from the East End of Calve Street aforesaid
over Cranford Moor through the
Parishes of Great Torrington, Saint Giles, Yarnscombe,
and Atherington, to
the River Taw in Atherington at Umberly Bridge ; and also from Gammaton Moor in the Parish of Bideford through the Parishes of Bideford, Hunts haw, Yarnscombe,
Saint Giles, High Bickington, and Burrington to Wick
Cross in Burrington ; and also from
High Bullen to Bellview
in the said Parish of Saint
Giles ; and from Bellview aforesaid
to Huntsbaw Turnpike Gate in the
Parish of Hunstbaw aforesaid, all in
the County of Devon.
Great
An Act for more
effectually improving and keeping in repair the Roads leading to and from the
Town of
by a
Resolution to be entered into at any of their Meetings' of which at least
Fourteen Days Notice should be given, to abandon and discharge themselves from the future Repairs of such Part of the
said roads as lead from a place called The Bartridges
to the said Village of Hatherleigh;
and from and after the Day or time fixed by such resolution for the Abandonment
of such Portion of the Road, the same should no longer be repaired, maintained, or .supported by the Trustees
of the Barnstaple
Turnpike Roads: And whereas the said Portion
of Road is situate much nearer the Town of Great Torrington than Barnstaple,
it hath therefore been agreed by and between the Trustees of the said
respective Roads, that it would
be expedient for the Interest of the
Public, and for the Benefit and Convenience of both the said Trusts, that so much of the said Road as leads from the said Place
called The Bartridges to the said Town or
Village of Hatherleigh, with
the Toll
Houses and Gates thereon, should be placed under the Care and Management of the
Trustees for putting this
Act into Execution, and be
repaired, amended, and kept by them by
and out of the Revenues of their Trust, and be diverted and turned so as
to render it more commodious for the Public:
for the Purpose of making, amending, diverting, varying, altering, widening, improving, and maintaining in repair the several Roads herein-after mentioned ; (that is to say,) from the South End of School Lane in Great Torrington, through New Street, over the Common, to Town Bridge, and from the End of New Street aforesaid to Rothern Bridge, and from thence to Husk Hill in Frithelstock; and also from the said Rothern Bridge, through the Warbys, in the Parish of Frithelstock, and through Monkleigh Wood, in the Parish of Monkleigh, to Pit Wood in the said Parish ; and also from Plumper's Water to Monkleigh Town in the said Parish of Monkleigh; and also from the said Rothern Bridge, through the said Parish of Frithelstock, to Tallyman's Water in the said Parish ; and also from the said South End of School Lane in Great Torrington aforesaid, through New Street, Potacre Street, Well Street, and Calve Street, and from thence through the Parishes of Great Torrington, Saint Giles, and Beaford, to Beaford Town; and also from the East End of Calve Street aforesaid, through the Parishes of Great Torrington, Saint Giles, and Roborough, to Roborough Town ; and also from the East End of Calve Street aforesaid, over Cranford Moor, through the Parishes of Great Torrington, Saint Giles, Yarnscombe, and Atherington, to the River Taw in Atherington, at Umberley Bridge ; and also from Gammaton Moor in the Parish of Bideford, through the Parishes of Bideford, Hunshaw, Yarnscombe, Saint Giles, High Bickington, and Burrington, to Wick Cross in Burrington; and also from High Bullen to Bellview in the said Parish of Saint Giles; and from Bellview aforesaid to Hunshaw Turnpike Gate, in the Parish of Hunshaw aforesaid; and also from the Town of Great Torrington aforesaid to a Place called Addlehole in the Parish of Down Saint Mary, through the several Parishes of Great Torrington, Saint Giles in the Wood, Beaford, Dolton, Winkleigh, Brushford, Coleridge, Zeal Monachorum, Lapford, and Down Saint Mary ; and from the Town of Great Torrington aforesaid, to Hatherleigh and Langtree, through the several Parishes of Great Torrington, Little Torrington, Peter's Marland, Petrockstow, Meeth., Hatherleigh, Frithelstock, and Langtree ; all in the County of Devon.
Great
An Act to enlarge the Term
and Powers of an Act for more effectually improving the Roads to and from the
Town of
And whereas the whole of the last-mentioned Line of Road, together with the new Cuts and Deviations from the same, has been formed and made, except so much thereof as is or is supposed to be situate in the Parish of Ringsash otherwise Ashreigney ; and by reason of the Omission of that Parish in the said recited Act the said Trustees are not empowered to adopt or to form any Line of Road therein, or to collect Tolls thereon, and His Majesty's liege Subjects are unable to pass and repass over the same, to their great Inconvenience ; and the Intercourse between Exeter and Great Torrington by the said last-mentioned Line is wholly suspended : And whereas since the passing of the said recited Act it has been discovered that the mountainous Hills between Great Torrington and Little Torrington, on the great Turnpike Head leading from llfracombe to Plymouth, can be avoided, by making and maintaining a Deviation of the same from Middle Broadpark through Mutton Lane into the said Turnpike Road at the End of the said Lane, and through Cock's Shilley to the River Torridge, all in the said Parish of Little Torrington, across the said River into the first-mentioned Turnpike Road from Great Torrington to Addlehole in the Parish of Great Torrington or Saint Giles in the Wood at or near the new Mills in the said Parish of Great Torrington, which will be of great public Utility, but the same cannot be done without the Aid of Parliament;
Select Committee on State of Roads 1840
John Staley of Great Torrington (clerk to the trust) reported
There are 61 miles 2 furl 15pl of road thru 23 parishes – 38 miles 6furl
are repaired by the trustees; the remaining roads are repaired by the parishes
but the trustees pay one half of this.
11 toll gates and 10 side gates
The roads are stated to be in “tolerable repair” – no part under
indictment for want of repair.
Report to Secretary of State 1865
BPP Vol29 (1865) No.
5.—GREAT
The Local Act for these roads, of the 11th of George
1V. cap. 2., continued, with certain alterations, the previous Act of the 9th
of George IV. cap. 35., but granted a new term,
which would have expired with the session of 1862, had it not been extended by
the Turnpike Acts Continuance Acts, by the last of which it is now continued
until the 1st day of November 1865.
The length of road at present belonging to the trust is 70 miles 2 furlongs 38& yards, and is thus described : —
Miles. Furl. Yards.
1. The New Exeter road - 20 0 0
2. The Bideford road 2 6 38
3. The Frithelstock road - 1 7 0
4. The Buckland Brewer road 250
5. The Monkleigh road - - 1 0 0
6. The Mill Street common road - 0
3 143
7- Streets in the town of
8. The
9- The Hatherleigh road - 10 4 0
10. The Little Torrington new road- 1 3 132
11. The Langtree road - 0 • 5 60
12. The Southmolton road - 7 G 27
13. The Roborough road - 440
14. The Old Exeter road 8 6 110
15. The Belle Vue
road - 1 2 0
From this statement it appears that 1 mile 5
furlongs 82 yards consists of streets in Great Torrington, a town the
population of which exceeds 3,300, and having a considerable trade in the
manufacture of gloves; there are 14 toll-gates, but four tolls only are
payable, and a second toll is not taken within four miles; the full rates
allowed by the Local Act are levied -, there are no weighing machines in use on
the road.
The original debt on this Trust, as entered in
the accounts for 1838, was Ł11,336. 10s, which appeared to have been borrowed
at various periods from 1765 to 1786, and in 1827; in 1840 it was discovered
that this amount had been wrongly stated, and should have been Ł11,136. 10s.,
which sum was increased in 1840 by Ł2,475 being advanced for the purpose of
making the Little Torrington road, and in 1843 a further sum of Ł1,000 was
borrowed for building a bridge over the River Torridge;
these sums have been reduced by various payments to Ł10,026 10s, but no part
has been paid off since 1848, and this amount remains due in 76 sums, many of
which are small, 22 being for Ł25 each, and 20 for Ł50. each, but the usual
schedule of debts has been omitted in the Bill; Ł4,325 bears interest at Ł4.
and Ł5,70l 10s. at Ł4 10s. per cent.; the arrears, at the end of 1863,
appear to have been Ł509 8s 3d.
The accounts show that the toll receipts became
reduced in 1849 and following years, -which has been attributed to the
following causes :—the great depression of the agricultural interest,
causing a decrease in the quantity of lime carried over the road; the
introduction of artificial manures, which are exempt from toll; the extension
of the railway system into the district, and the consequent discontinuance of
the stage coaches. A sum of Ł5 appears as parish aid in the accounts for 1846,
which amount was received from the surveyor of highways of Burrington
towards the repair of the roads at Week Cross in that parish; Ł3,475 was
borrowed in the years 1840 and 1843 under the circumstances
alluded to above, and Ł950 was received from the late Lord Rolle
in 1842, and Ł1,050 in 1843, as donations towards building the bridge
over the River Torridge. The funds of the Trust have
been expended in repairing the roads (at reduced cost in late years) ;—salaries
(treasurer, Ł30 up to 1850 ; clerk Ł30; surveyor, increased to Ł65 since 1855) •,—interest of debt;—improvements
;—-portions of the principal;—and incidentals;
List of Roads
New Exeter Road (No. 1); A386 through New Street, Well Street, and Calve
Street in Great Torrington, down to the river Torridge
and then branch east on A3124 to Beaford (built in 1835) and
on to Winkleigh, then branching east as the B3220, over Taw
Bridge, to Morchard
Road (Addlehole in Down Saint Mary) where it meets the A377,
the Exeter Turnpike Road (about 20 miles) ;
UC road from
UC road from
Little
South Molton
(Umberleigh Bridge) Road (No. 12); The B3227 from Calve Street, over Cranford Moor, through Yarnscombe, and Atherington, to Umberley Bridge over the
River Taw to meet South Molton Turnpike Road (about 8 miles) ;
Old Exeter (Wick Cross) Road (No. 14); UC Road from Gammaton Moor, east of Bideford, over Hunshaw Cross and Ebberly Hill
to Week (Wick) Cross on the B3217 in Burrington where it meets the Old Exeter Road of the Barnstaple Turnpike Road (about 8 miles);
Belle
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