Newton
The roads of several
other trusts meet in Newton Bushell, on the banks of the River Teign. The
Newton Bushell Trust, created in 1761 was responsible for the roads northwards to
Ashburton and through Moretonhamstead across Dartmoor from the
J House of Commons - Reports
From Journal of House of Commons Vol 28; 1Geo3
Ashburton
to
16 Dec 1760; A petition of gentlemen, clergy, freeholders and principal inhabitants residing in or near the several towns and boroughs of Ashburton, Newton Bushell, and Newton Abbot- that the common road leading from Travellers Rest in the Ashburton turnpike road in Parish of Ashburton thru parishes of Ashburton, Bickington, Ilsington, Highweek to town of Newton Bushell; and from thence to Diptford Bridge in Parish of Bovey Tracey, on common called Bovey Heath Field, thru Highweek Church Town and certain places called Stowford Bridge and Drum Bridge in Parishes of Highweek, Teingrace, Ilsington and Bovey Tracey, is so ruinous and bad, especially in the Winter season, and so narrow in several places, that the same cannot be sufficiently repaired by the ordinary course of Law, so pray leave for a bill to repair widen and amend the road.
22 Dec 1760; Mr Peter Burrell reported to the Committee;
To prove the
allegation of the said petition, Mr Richard Eales said the road from
Traveller’s Rest to Newton Bushell and Newton Abbot and
John Dunning Esq. said; that if five times the Statue Labour was performed it would be insufficient on parts from Travellers Rest to Newton Bushell – and some other parts were worse
19 Jan 1761; Petition from Teingrace, Bovey Tracey, Lustley, North Bovey, Moreton Hampstead, that road is incommodious, having a very troublesome ascent and descent that has scarcely ever been considered a public road by those travelling from Bovey Tracey to Newton, until the erection of a turnpike gate at Teing Bridge, and then it came in use only by those willing to take trouble and hazard to avoid the toll at this gate; and that for time out of mind the road had been by way of Teign Bridge, Teing Grace, Ventaford Bridge to Diptford Bridge – the same is most level and convenient – petition that this ancient way not subverted or changed and petitioners not burdened by tolls, other than at Teing Bridge.
and
A Petition from
Mayor, Aldermen and Merchants of Exeter – that the road leading from the head
of the Holloway in Ideford on west side of Lord Clifford’s Park Gate, where the
Exeter turnpike ends, thru towns of Newton Bushell, Newton Abbot and Totnes to
Biddeford in the Parish of Ugborough, has been in part repaired by virtue of an
Act of 32nd Year, and this road leads from Exeter through Newton to Totnes and
Plymouth thru a rich and populous and trading country, and is greatly
frequented by the petitioners and that the Commissioners have erected three
tollgates on the road; Teing Bridge within a mile of Newton Abbot, another
between Newton Abbot and Totnes and a 3rd between Totnes and Biddeford, and
that the gate at Teing Bridge brings in more money than both others so that
repair of this road (22 miles) chiefly depends on the produce of this gate, on
the credit of which toll, considerable sums of money have been borrowed – and
road from Newton Abbot to Diptford Bridge is on North side of road from Newton
Abbot to Holloway, so travellers passing from North and East parts of Newton
Bushell, by travelling road mentioned in bill from Bovey Mills to Diptford
Bridge and Drum Bridge to Newton Abbot and Newton Bushell, and back again, will
avoid said gate at Teing Bridge –whereby the toll collected will be lessened,
the trustees incapable of repairing the roads and will affect the commerce of
the Country. Pray nothing in new bill will affect toll at
And
Same Trustees alleged that the tolls at Teing Bridge bring in one week or another £ 3-4s-6d and gate between Newton Abbot and Totnes brings in no more than £ 1 – 6s – 6d and the gate between Totnes and Biddeford brings in no more than 19s in a week. The sum of £2,800 has been borrowed against the tolls. Travellers on the new road may avoid these tolls.
22 Jan 1761 – A Petition of trustees of Act from 28th year of Geo 2 for repairing road from Chudleigh to Hennock thru Ashburton to Brent Bridge; say that part of road extending from eastwards of Ashburton to the Traveller’s Rest is part the common road from Ashburton to Newton Bushell and that by the Act a gate has been erected thereon and all persons travelling the road pay a toll, and that the residue of the road from Ashburton to Newton, which are distant from each other about 7 miles, is comprised in a bill, now depending in the house for Traveller’s Rest to Newton Bushell and Diptford Bridge. – the whole road in the bill is in want of repair but if travellers from Ashburton to Newton Bushell were liable to tolls under new bill and the old bill travellers and would tempt them to use another road to the prejudice of both turnpikes – it had been agreed at a meeting on Dec 24th that all persons paying the tolls by the said Act at any gate erected on the part of the road east of Ashburton should be permitted to pass and repass through the gates to be erected by virtue of the said Act.
List of
Acts
|
|
Ashburton to |
1 Geo3 c34 |
1761 |
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Ashburton to |
16 Geo3 c79 |
1776 |
|
|
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42 Geo3 c75 |
1802 |
|
|
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Left out of
merger of Ashburton and Totnes North Trusts |
|
|
|
|
|
Road to Whiddon
Down |
7 Geo4 c92 |
1826 |
|
|
|
Expired |
35&36 Vic c85 |
1872 |
Nov 1872 |
An Act for more effectually repairing and
improving several Roads leading to and from the Towns of Newton Bushell, South
Bovey, and Moretonhampstead, in the
for the Purpose of more effectually amending,
diverting, improving, and repairing
the said Newton District of Roads from Newton Bushell to Travellers
Rest, and from Newton Bushell to Forches otherwise Forgers
Cross, and also from Moor's Barn to
the End of Whitehill Lane, through the several Parishes of Highwick, Ilsington, Bickington,
Ashburton, Teigngrace, and South Bovey, all in the said
County ; and also for making a new Line of Road branching out of the present Line of Road at or near the End of Whitehill Lane aforesaid, and
extending from thence to the present Line of Road at or near a Place
called Blatchford Brook in the said Parish of Highwick; one other
new Line of Road branching out of the
present Line of Road at or near Moor's Barn, and extending from thence
to Forches Cross aforesaid ; one other new Line of Road extending
from the present Line of Road at South
Bovey, through the said Town
of South Bovey, unto and through the Town of Moretonhampstead, and from thence through the Village of
Sandy Park to a certain Place called Whiddon Down, and
adjoining the Turnpike Road there leading
from Exeter to Oakhampton ; and also one other new Line of
Road extending from the said last-mentioned intended new Line of Road through South
Bovey aforesaid, unto and across a certain
Common or Heathfield called Knighton Heathfield, and from thence through a certain Lane called Clay Line to
the Turnpike Road leading from Newton
Bushell aforesaid to Chudleigh and Exeter, through the several Parishes of Highwick,
Kingsteignton, Hennock, South Bovey,
Lustleigh, Moretonhampstead, Chagford, Drewsteignton, and Southtawton,
all in the County of Devon
Select Committee on State of Roads 1840
William Kitson of Torquay (clerk to the trust) reported
There are 26 miles 7 pl of road thru 14 parishes – all repaired by the
trustees
10 toll gates
The road is stated to be in “bad repair” – the income is not sufficient
to keep it in repair and paying the interest and other charges having priority;
and the trustees are unable to improve the road, which is much wanted. No part
under indictment for want of repair.
The securities have
been considerably diminished in value by the abolition of Statute Labour.
Before the late Highway Act a composition in lieu of statute labour had for
many years been received from the parishes of about £1 per mile; and the
trustees were thereby enabled to keep the road in repair; and if a composition
at that rate were now paid, the trustees would able to repair the roads; but
the parishes refuse to contribute anything, and threaten to proceed against the
officers of the trust under that unjustifiable clause in the late Highway Act,
by which they are liable to a penalty for the roads being out of repair, and
from which the officers of the trust can only protect themselves by holding out
a threat to indict the parishes; so that between the two, for want of a small
contribution from the parishes, the public have a bad road; the officers of the
trust are endangered innocently; the parishes are liable to be indicted; and
the trust gets into disrepute, its revenues fall off and the securities of the
creditors are diminished in value; and in the end the parishes will loose more
by being indicted than if they had contributed a composition. In addition to
the above the abolition of Statue Labour is prejudicial to the public interest,
because, in cases where it would not be enforced, the knowledge of there being
such a fraud to resort to, if necessary, would make these sureties more
marketable and acceptable to the public, and tend to lower the rate of
interest. For instance, if the rate of interest on this trust would be lowered
£1 per cent, scarcely any composition would be necessary.
List of Roads
Moretonhampstead Road; UC road from Newton Bushell to Forches Cross, and A382 from the End of Whitehill Lane by Blatchford Brook through Drum Bridges
to South Bovey, (Bovey Tracey)
and on to Moretonhampstead, and then N on A382
through Sandy Park to Whiddon Down, to joining the
Okehampton Turnpike Road at jct with A30. (about
18 miles);
Typical Newton Square design of milestone on the
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