Turnpikes and potholes! What’s that about?

Turnpikes and Potholes! Is this a new thing?

My postings, during my April alphabet self-induced contest, took a bit of a set back last week. In order to improve on the glitches, this post was really intended to be for the twentieth of April but I'm squeezing it in now.

People might bemoan the state of roads in Scotland these days, and complain bitterly about the potholes which regularly damage car tyres and suspensions. It can’t be denied that roads in some districts are much worse than others, but how did the roads come into being and how were they initially constructed?

Whilst researching a route for the main character in my current writing to go from the town of Milnathort (Kinross-Shire) to Edinburgh, I looked at which roads might have been available to use in 1851. That led me on a little detour to investigate more about the turnpike system.

And...before even the turnpike system was initiated, what was there already?

Drovers path - Potkerse

Pre-history

Across the landscape of what became Scotland, a series of well-used trackways linked settlements of varying sizes. Along these routes, there was a regular movement of people and animals. The beasts were moved from place to place, taken to new locations, or even bartered for other goods. The tracks were well-trodden, but most would likely have become impassable, for beasts and man, in seriously inclement weather.

Roman era

When the Ancient Roman legions invaded, and settled in more and more of southern and central Scotland, some stone roads were laid down between the forts they had constructed (e.g., along the Antonine Wall corridor). A small road network has been identified creating links between some of their more northern installations as far as Angus and the Mearns, though it appears that the legions didn’t remain long enough to build any permanent roads in the far northern areas of Aberdeenshire that they invaded. Interestingly enough, some local Aberdeenshire maps created in the late Victorian era have short stretches on them that are named ‘Roman Road’. Sadly, though, since they were not attested by any archaeology department at that time, they are not considered to be authentic Roman roads.

An effective road system was crucial to the effective running of the Roman Empire. In general, they built their stone roads to last a long time but who were the main users of their roads? Was it the local population? Certainly, it’s thought, there would have been some trading use of the Roman road system by local tribes. However, in all areas of occupation across the Roman Empire, it was essential for them to move their own troops at pace across the landscape when relocation was needed. It was even more important to ensure swift and regular communication between the invading, or settled armies, and the ‘top’ administration back in Rome itself. Having thousands of legionaries at hand to build metalled roads, when not engaged in subduing local populations, meant relatively quick road building. Good quality roads mattered!

 

Roman Road, Hawick

'Dark Ages’/Pre- Norman

After the Roman armies retreated back to the Hadrian’s Wall area, and then out of Britannia completely, evidence for further roads being constructed is scant during the post-Roman period. The lowlands and southern Scotland were under threat from different aggressors: tribes from Ireland; Vikings; and Angles from Northumbria. Though limited, there is some evidence of movements of these invading peoples and of the connecting roads they used and/or created for their own purposes.

Middle Ages

There was relative peace during the reign of King Malcolm II (Canmore), during the second half of the 1000s, which meant trade had more opportunity to flourish across Scotland and to the south. Effective trade and commerce meant some decent roads being laid between the new towns that were built to the local market areas, to the great abbeys, and to other religious sites.

Parish System

After the era of the Magna Carta, and the baronial expansion in Scotland, the parish system emerged. This meant roads became the responsibility of the ‘parish, and it was their job (the council) to ensure the local roads were maintained. The main problem here was the system became inefficient and even corrupt. There was supposed to be a rule where able-bodied men gave 6 days of their labour free, per year, to improve the road conditions. This wasn’t enforced well and to get out of the hard-labour aspect, some parishioners vowed to pay a sum of money instead. Often the money wasn’t collected and there were considerably fewer men to call on to repair the roads.

That said, there were some improvements: new roads and bridges built during this period. After the 1715 Jacobite rebellion, there was more road building across the highlands, built mainly to ensure British Government troops got to troublesome, rebellious areas of the highlands as quickly as possible. In some ways similar to the reasons for Roman road building. By the 1750s, General Wade and his team were creating well-constructed ‘uniform’ maps showing all available roads and tracks, including the latest built roads across the highlands, in accurate locations. It's fascinating to pour over these maps made by Wade's teams, which were essentially the format and process of labelling that was adopted soon after for the official Ordnance survey maps that we still use today.  The National Library of Scotland Map Collection is an amazing resource that's free to use for researching maps of Scotland. 

And we eventually come to the Turnpike era!

Some toll roads had been built during the parish system era, but it was only towards the end of the 1700s that paying a toll was deemed a better way to ensure safer passage of animals, goods, and people to markets, and to make transportation of industrial goods easier on good roads. Since living conditions were gradually improving in the countryside, due to better farming and animal husbandry techniques, the rural population had grown and there were more people on the move. Industrialisation had changed the landscape across Scotland in the late 1700s with more coaches, carts and carriers needing to use the existing roads which were inadequate.

Acts of Parliament were granted to counties which allowed them to set up a ‘Turnpike Trust’. This meant the trusts could raise money to pay for the construction of new roads and bridges in their immediate area, or to improve existing routes. The plan was to gradually recoup that invested money from toll collections, over a long period of time. This was more successful in producing and maintaining better roads till the advent of railways around the early 1830s, which were so competitive they caused road maintenance issues. By the 1880s, newly formed county councils took over the supply and maintenance of roads and the ‘turnpike trusts’ were abandoned.

So, why the name turnpike? The ‘turnpike’ was the gate which blocked the road until the toll was paid. A pike was an infantry weapon with a pointed iron or steel head on a long shaft. Were pikes used by the toll-keepers to turn back anyone who could not, or would not, pay the toll fee? 

I haven’t absolutely confirmed that, yet, but if you can please let me know your source!

Barnhill Tollhouse, Perth and Kinross Road

Were there toll roads and turnpikes near Milnathort when my character was growing up? Map evidence indicates there definitely was a toll/ turnpike on the road out of Milnathort to the south. Since that 1 ½ mile long stretch was the main road leading to the county town of Kinross, then it was likely a busy enough one that recouped a reasonable amount of the building money before the Turnpike Trust was disbanded. The image above of Barnhill Tollhouse is near the city of Perth, and stands on the road to Dundee. Built during the early 1800s,it's  architectural style is quite elaborate, but I'm sure the countryside boasted some substantial turnpike/ toll house buildings. I have written-in a lovely old character who lives in a turnpike/toll house just outside of Milnathort on the road south to Kinross. He is no longer collecting any money, which is just as well because my five-year-old Margaret doesn't have any to pay him! 

Till more on my researching…enjoy your reading,

Slàinte!

Images- Wikimedia Commons -Geography Project

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Former_tollhouse_(geograph_6694599).jpg