From the Exeter Flying Post, 1799
MORETONHAMPSTEAD TURNPIKE
NOTICE IS HERBY GIVEN, That the tolls arising from the several Toll Gates on the Road leading from REEDY GATE, in the Parish of Dunsford, in the County of Devon, to Cherry Brook, in the Forest of Dartmoor, in the said County, will be LET by AUCTION, at the School House in Moretonhampstead on Tuesday the Third Day of December next, between the Hours of Ten and Two o?Clock, in the Manner directed by the Act passed in the 13th Year of the Reign of his present Majesty, King George the Third, ?for regulating the Turnpike Roads;? which Tolls produced last Year the several Sums under mentioned, above the Expenses of collecting.
Whoever happens to be the best Bidder must, at the same Time give Security, with sufficient Sureties, to the Satisfaction of the Trustees of the said Turnpike Road, for Payment of the Rent agreed for, at such Times, and in such Manner, as they shall direct.
Wm. Parr, Clerk to the Trustees.
New Bridge Gate £12 1s 6d
Folly Lane Gate £47 10s 0d
Bughead Cross 2 Gates £24 2s 7d
30th October, 1799
[From a similar adversiement dated Sept. 21 1808, the figures were Newbridge Gate £27 3s 6d; Folly lane Gate £70 10s 0d; and Bughead Cross £35 0s 0d.]
From the Exeter Flying Post, July 1834
NEWTON BUSHEL TURNPIKE TRUST
IMPORTANT DECISION
In 1826 the Trustees were authorised ‘to take over the existing road from South Bovey through Moretonhampstead and from thence through the village of Sandy Park to Whiddon Down’ recently widened and improved at the expense of the different parishes. They ‘had proceeded to make the most important of the new cuts, but six of the cuts in the plan had not been made, whereby the benefit of the other improvements was materially lessened. It appeared that the parishes have looked on the conversion of their roads into turnpike with great dislike, as they were not only compelled by the Trustees to pay a composition of £3.10s. per mile for the parts taken by the Trustees, but had also to repair the parts of the old road not taken by the Trustees. Three turnpikes had been erected on the line, at two of which passengers were compelled to pay within half a mile of each other, at the entrances of the town of Moreton.’
The case turned on whether the Trustees were entitled to charge tolls before having completed the improvements promised 8 years ago, since they were modifying an existing road rather than building a new one. The Court decided that the gates should be taken down.
The evidence of the surveyor:
On the 9th June 1834 I surveyed the road from South Bovey to Sandy Park: I measured the present road at South Bovey and the proposed deviation, and took the elevations. The present road is very crooked and narrow. The elevation for 270 feet is 1 in 10½, and for 230 feet 1 in 16½, and averaging about 11 feet in width. By the proposed new cut the rise would be about 1 foot in 17 and the distance 9 chains less. Some of the turns on the present old road are so sharp as to render it in many places dangerous. The present road at Sandy Park is also very steep: the rise for 264 feet as 1 in 8½, 52 feet as 1 in 7½ and for 153 feet 1 in 14; the width in one or two places not more than 8½ feet. By the proposed new cut the distance would have been increased a little, but the rise would not have been more than 1 foot in 17 at the steepest point. There are four other deviations inserted in the plan lodged with the Clerk of the Peace, which have not been made, and which would be very beneficial to the public if made. The road is kept only as an ordinary parish road.