Martock and South Petherton Turnpike Trust (updated 18^th Feb 2009)

This trust was created in 1761 Its main responsibilities were a branch road leading SW from Somerton to the Ilminster Road..

List of Acts

Martock and South Petherton	Dyed Way to Somerton	1 Geo3 c29	1761
	South Petherton added	23 Geo3 c96	1783
		43 Geo3 c26	1803
		4 Geo4 c62	1823	1844
	Expired			1877

South Petherton 1803

An Act for continuing the Term, and altering and enlarging the Powers of Two several Acts, passed in the First and Twenty-third Years of the Reign of His present Majesty, for repairing and widening the Roads from Dyed Way to Somerton, and from Gawbridge to Tintinhull Fords, and from a Stream of Water called Ford, to Cartgate, in Martock, in the County of Somerset; and also for repairing and widening the Roads from a Place called Hurst Bow in Martock aforesaid, through a Common Meadow called Petherton Broadmead, and thence through the Parishes of South Petherton, Shepton, Beauchamp, and Barrington, to join the Turnpike Road leading from Ilminster to Langport, and from South Petherton aforesaid, through Part of the several Parishes of South Petherton and Lopen, to Whitecross, in the said Parish of Lopen; all in the said County of Somerset. [7th April 1803.]

Martock 1823

An Act for more effectually repairing the Roads from Dyed Way to Somerton, and from Gawbridge to Tintinhull Fords, and from a Stream of Water called Ford to Cartgate in Martock, and other Roads therein mentioned, in the County of Somerset. [23d May 1823.]

Select Committee on State of Roads 1840

John Nicholetts of South Petherton (clerk to the trust) reported

There are 16 miles of road through 5 parishes – all repaired by the trustees except for 1 mile in Somerton that has never been repaired by the trustees, but the trustees have been accustomed to pay the surveyor of the highways £5 per year towards the repair of such road. 1 mile 1276 yards in South Petherton has never been repaired by the trustees, but the trustees have expended about £100 in widening it and lowering the hills, 733 yards in Lupen parish has never been repaired by the trustees.

3 toll gates

The roads are stated to be in “good” repair except that part in Somerton – 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 13 miles 5 furl. 115 yds (2.5 miles less than in 1840)

List of Roads

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

Return to Turnpikes in Somerset general page

Known Tollhouses (extracts from Tollhouse National database) 3 sites identified of the 3 reported by the Trust in 1840

Records	X	Coat	SOSS	Coat		T	MASP
Act	X	Hurst Bow	SOSS	Hurst Bow	mentioned in Act of 1803	T	MASP
Records	X	Long Load	SOSS	Long Load		T	MASP

Known Milestones

In the Milestone Society Database, 5 milestones are identified along this road, mostly on the B3165 most in a design referred to as Martock plate. Based on the mileage reported by the Trust in 1840, would expect 16.