Identity area
Type of entity
Authorized form of name
Parallel form(s) of name
Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules
Other form(s) of name
Identifiers for corporate bodies
Description area
Dates of existence
History
The turnpike system dated from 1663 when Parliament authorised the erection of toll barriers along the Great North Road. The principle was that each person should contribute to the repair of the roads in proportion to the use he made of them. A barrier was placed across a road and a toll taken from each road user except pedestrians; the monies were then used to support the maintenance and improvement of the road. Turnpikes were placed under the control of bodies known as Turnpike Trusts. By 1770 there were over 1100 Trusts, administering 23,000 miles of road, with 7800 toll gates.
In 1728 the Bedfont and Bagshot Turnpike Trust had charge of the Great West Road (now the A30) from the Hounslow Powder Mills to the Basingstone, an old stone which stood near the Jolly Farmer Inn west of Bagshot. The route was popular with stagecoaches. The construction of a railway line caused turnpike revenue to fall rapidly and many turnpike companies were forced to close down, causing the further deterioration of the roads they were supposed to maintain. In 1888, Surrey County Council took responsibility for the main county roads, whilst Bagshot Rural District Council took over responsibility from the parish for local roads.
The main roads around Slough were managed by the Colnbrook Turnpike Trust, established in 1727. Their stretch of road ran from Cranford Bridge (between Harlington and Hounslow, then in Middlesex) to the Buckinghamshire side of the Maidenhead Bridge. Turnpike gates and toll-houses were set up at Salt Hill, near to the Castle Inn, and to the west of Colnbrook, near the road to Poyle.