Stroud District Turnpike Sites
Posted by on January 01 1970 00:05:14
A report for the Natonal of Industrial Monuments, for the Council of British Archeology, compiled in 1964-5.

Area of Survey
The area round Stroud bounded by, but excluding these roads:

Cirencester - Birdlip - Gloucester; Cirencester- Tetbury; Tetbury - Calcot - Ashel Barn.

and by the Cotswold scarp from Ashel Barn via Frocester Hill to Coopers Hill

but including the roads from Stonehouse to the Bristol Road at Whitminster, Stonehouse via Eastington to the Severn beyond Arlingham (Newnham Passage), from Alkerton to Frocester Hill, and from Stroud via Pitchcombe and Brookthorpe to Gloucester.

This area appears on 7th edition 1" Ordanance survey maps Nos. 143, 156, 157.

Methods of Investigation
The main guides were the 1st edition of the Ordnance Survey 1". published in the late 1820's ; the 2" Preliminary Drawings published at least 10 years earlier, Bryants Map of Gloucestetershire published 1824, and the relevant Tithe Maps and Award Books of the late 1830s and early 1840s.

Help was also sought in various late 18th and early 19th century maps or altlases, in particular Issac Taylor's Map of 1777; road books such as Paterson's, road diversion orders adn other similar documents in the Gloucester Collection (City Library) or the Gloucester Records Office (Shire Hall) ; and relevant Turnpike Acts (British Museum); or through chance.

Types of Site.
The sites were found to fall into three main catogories:

(1) Tollhouses existing, functionally recognisable.
(2) Tollhouses existing, but (a) altered from original functional shape
                                        (b) of no outstanding functional shape or design
(3) Site only, building demolished.

At the time of writing, a few sites remain to be positively identified.


Under (1) are listed the following

Survey No Location  6'' Map Reference
   5 Green Street, Brockworth 
 15 Stancombe, near Bisley SO 897069
 25 Cainscross      835049
 27 Butter Row, Stroud      856040
 40 Shortwood road, Nailsworth ST 847993
 41 Horsley Road, Nailsworth      843985
 70 105 Tredworth High Street, Gloucester 

Under (2) are listed the following:

  4               Melrose Cottage, Washwell, PainswickSO 868100          
 11 Opposite Clothiers Arms, Bath Road,
                                             Stroud		      844049
 21 Walls Quarry, Brimscombe      866021
 22 Rodborough      846045
 23 Pike Lane, Frampton Mansell      925018
 32 Park Stile, Woodchester      841028
 43 Frampton Canal Bridge      746085    
 45 The Perryway      763071
 47 near Frocester Court      788028
 49 near Nympsfield Barrow      795014
 59 Upper Hyde      885012
 60 Holloway, Bisley      906054
 61 Holbrook Farm, Bisley      906075
 64 AveningST  881980
 66 near Round Tower, Cirencester Park SO 998026
 69 Horsepools Hill      841108

and doubtfully
10              Cyprus Inn, Lightpill                             SO 840041         
48 Frocester Cottages      793019

while
31              Tiltups End                                         ST 845973          
was demolished a year after the survey has been made.

Turnpike Routes
These are numbered in accordance with the routes given in Bristol & Gloucestershire Archeological Society's Transactions Vol 83 for 1964, in the article "Milestones of the Stroud District." They do not correspond precisely with the exact trust roads, which were in any case altered or amalgamated into Highway Boards at various times. A useful map is that given in the an article by David Ricardo, Junior, called "Rebecca in Stroud" 1847 in the Gloucestershire Collection. The authorising Turnpike Act is given also in the following Table of Routes.

  I.     Stroud - Pitchcombe - Brookthorpe - Gloucester
  58 Geo. III c.1 of 1818
A "new" road from Stroud to Brookthorpe, thence Gloucester
 II. Stroud - Pitchcombe - Painswick - Cheltenham
  59 Geo. III c.42 og 1819 for the stretch Pitchcombe - Painswick
   1 Geo. IV c.16. of 1820 for the stretch Prinknash Park - Cheltenham
 I have not yet found the authorisation for this "new" road between Painswick and Prinknash Park corner: previously the coach road went over Painswick Hill, and then along the scarp edge to Birdlip, as seen in the 2" Drawings. Only the section through Shurdington was a road before.