Appelby tollgate .

[David Jarvis]

Can anybody help with position of the tollgate, in 1871 census my great great grandmother Elizabeth Belcher was the toll keeper, but does not give the location  

[Deleted]

Hello, I am Anne (Bates) Silins in Canada. I believe the "tollgate" refers to what I knew as a young girl in Appleby in the 1940's as the "round house". This is the house which is now accessed by a lane and is located opposite to Austry Lane in Appleby Parva on A444. I used to travel around the village with my Grandfather Charles Bates and he would tell me stories about the history of the village both Appleby Magna and Appleby Parva. He told me that the A444 was at one time a "toll road".
I just looked on Google Maps and see a round shaped house down a lane opposite Austry Lane. It has a round roof with a chimney in the middle of that roof. At one time I believe that some "toll gate houses" were built in this round shape. I think that A444 has been re-routed but when I was a young girl it passed right beside this round house. I hope this is of some help to you.

[Chris]

Anne - Many thanks for the input.

I have actually just found a site called turnpikes.org.uk which lists a toll house on the A444 at grid reference SK 31 10, which is actually quite close to where the motorway junction is now (rather than down near the Appleby Inn). There is obviously no buildings at that location now.

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I also asked Richard Dunmore, regarding the toll houses - this is his response.

Hi Chris,

On the turnpike road at the bottom of Birds Hill at the Measham boundary - where they could collect the turnpike tolls. There was probably another at No Man Heath also on the Turnpike at the parish boundary. Obvious, really!

Hope that makes sense.

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p.s. Turnpikes.org.uk does list the toll gate at No Mans Heath.

[Chris]

OK - Just had another look at turnpikes.org.uk and it does list a tollgate at the bottom of Birds Hill, close to Side Hollows Farm.

Grid Reference - SK 325 116

For some reason it is listed as being in Stretton en le Field rather than Appleby Magna.

I think that from the position of the entry in the 1871 census (apparently near the edge of the village) this Birds Hill tollgate is the most likely location of your relative's property.

[David Jarvis]

Thanks for information birds hill seems right as family moved to Measham near gasworks in1881 census. This road went from Measham too Fieldon bridge. There was also one from Crickets inn too Twycross. Again many thanks???