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BAWDESWELL
TOLL HOUSE
Norwich to Fakenham Turnpike Road 1823
For a long time the condition of
the country's roads and tracks was very poor.
Improvements had to be made, and in 1663 there was an important Highway
Act. It provided for the repair of highways within a few of the
country's counties and the introduction of tolls.
By about 1700 seven Turnpike Trusts had been created. The Wymondham to
Attleborough Turnpike was one of the earliest and opened in 1695. It
wasn't until 1823 that the Norwich to Fakenham Turnpike came into being.
The
toll system was always unpopular and a constant challenge to travelers
determined to avoid paying dues. By 1936 the Ministry of Transport had taken
over responsibility and few toll roads remained.
Norfolk possessed a number of
tollhouses and a small number remain, one of those being on the Norwich Road
in Bawdeswell.
Milestones
The Turnpike Trusts reintroduced milestones, the first since the days of the
Romans. Some were stone and others cast metal - as the one at
Bawdeswell - still there today on the Fakenham Road near the
school.....
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