Local historian: Turnpikes, toll houses and inns in Exmouth

CORRECTION

In this article I wrote we read about the tolls and turnpikes of Exmouth at Courtlands Cross and Exeter Road.

The general consensus at the time, according to all the research I found, was that the Exeter Road turnpike was at the junction of North Street and Exeter Road by the present library.

It turns out that this was not the case after all, so my humble apologies to all of you who knew differently.

I am indebted to Geoff Perriam whom I recently met at the museum and who kindly gave me some papers on it and I am happy to now update you all.

The actual site of the Exeter Road turnpike was opposite Mona Island, about 100 yards to the south of North Street, almost by Sheppards Row where the museum is situated.

This is evidenced by the 1838 Tithe Map which shows a gate in the roadway and also in his publication The Book of Exmouth Robin Bush tells of three houses for sale on Mona Island in 1845 saying they are "nearly opposite the Turnpike Gate at the entrance to Exmouth".

Mona Island on Exeter Road, as we saw from a much earlier article, was really the site of the beginnings of Exmouth as we know it.

As water came right up to it, it had originally been a ferry terminal for the crossing to Starcross and vessels had to navigate a creek from the estuary to reach it.

Much later in life, it had public conveniences under it and now it provides a place to sit and contemplate the world, and is commemorated by a blue plaque there.

The turnpike existed between 1832 and it is believed 1870, when it closed.

What of the houses that were around it though? The 1841 census provides more evidence as to the site of the turnpike as it shows occupants in Bond Street as it was called then, a George Hawkins at Turnpike House, Joseph Austin near Turnpike House, Caroline Grace and Mary Hayne (aged 75) near Turnpike House, which is number 66 on Mona Island itself according to the 1838 Tithe Map.

It also shows five more premises, then Glenorchy House and finally Meeting Street. The 1851 census shows the Quay, Sheppards Buildings and Exeter Road: Turnpike House, William Torrington (29), toll gate keeper.

This is the beauty of history, just when you thought you had discovered one thing about a place, subsequently something pops up and it throws everything out of the window we thought we knew!

Poster of houses for sale (Robin Bush/ The Book of Exmouth)

The above picture of a poster of houses for sale in Exmouth reproduced here from Robin Bush's book shows three dwelling houses, offices belonging to them and a workshop adjoining being sold on Thursday 31 December 1845 by Mr S Day at Giffords London Inn at two o'clock in the afternoon.

These houses are situated nearly opposite the turnpike gate at the entrance to Exmouth, providing further evidence for us as to the site of the turnpike.

They are occupied as tenants, by among others Mary Hayne, as we have seen and these three houses provide a rent of £32 and 10 shillings per annum – a good investment opportunity!

The premises are still held under a lease from the Mayor, Bailiffs and Community of Exeter for a term of 99 years which commenced on 25 March 1830.

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ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Some would say you cannot have one without the other as all roads lead to a welcoming inn!

That may well be true, but it was a roundabout route to get in and out of early Exmouth, as we saw in an earlier article. We take it for granted today as we drive on the relatively smooth tarmacked A376 between Exeter and Exmouth how easily it usually is get between these two places.

But it was not always so. So, what were the roads like around the area and where were those early inns? The roads were rutted, stony and muddy and prone to flooding and were often very slippery.

It must have been a long and arduous journey up and down the hills between Exeter and Exmouth! The roads were mostly negotiated by horses and horses pulling carts and coaches, none of which did the surfaces any good!

'Turnpikes' and toll houses in Exmouth

Roads, or turnpikes as they were called, largely originated in the 17th century because parishes were unable or unwilling to invest in roads. This gave rise to the turnpikes which got their name from the pikes stuck in the road to block one's way until a toll was paid and the pike turned at the toll house.

These Turnpike Trusts raised funds that were used to improve and maintain the roads. Exmouth Turnpike Trust was created in 1832, by which time the route in and out of the town between Exeter and Exmouth more resembled what we know now.

The Trust controlled two-and-a-quarter miles of road through two parishes, Lympstone and Withycombe Raleigh. There was a toll house at Courtlands Cross. This old toll house is still there at the corner of Roundhouse Lane. The toll was one penny for pedestrians and sixpence for a horse and cart.

The other toll was at the junction of Exeter Road and North Street where the library is now as seen in the photograph above.

From the 1840s the turnpikes started to encounter competition from the railways and they went into a gradual decline and they had all gone by the 1870s as local authorities took on the responsibilities of the roads. I have been unable to find any reference as to when the Exmouth Turnpike Trust was dissolved, or for that matter if it was ever dissolved. It might still be in existence, but dormant for all we know! I am sure though it was one that would have disappeared by the 1870s.

Early inns in Exmouth

Having travelled to Exmouth and paid your tolls, which inns were ready to welcome the hungry and thirsty traveller?

The Globe Hotel was the starting place for coaches between Exeter and Exmouth. This hotel was demolished in 1868 as part of the development of Rolle Street and it was situated to the rear part of what became Clapp's Café (where Franklins Café is now) and Crews & Sons and there is a blue plaque to show this on the building.

The Globe was a prominent building in the town being used for many things prior to the building of the Assembly Rooms. It was the venue for dances and balls and the monthly card evenings where tables would be set up for players of card games. It was also where the Masons held their meetings and the venue for the monthly Petty Sessions and quarterly Court Sessions. It was also used by Lady Glenorchy for church services prior to her chapel being built and one service was famously interrupted by the press gang trying to capture men for the navy.

Other notable early inns were The Great Tree Inn, (later The York Hotel) The Bicton Inn, The White Hart, The London Hotel, Pilot Inn and The Volunteer to name but a few. Just outside Exmouth, above Littleham Cross on the Salterton Road was the thatched Halfway House Inn. Some of the early inns are still in existence serving great ales and food – go and try them out!

If you would like to know more, a good starting point is the library on Exeter Road. There are many books in existence on all aspects of the history of Exmouth and these can often be found not only in good bookshops but also on line.

The Exmouth Museum staff are always happy to help and at the museum there is plenty of history to see and read about and a comprehensive library of newspaper cuttings relating to events and people in Exmouth. Please visit the Exmouth Museum website or contact [email protected].

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Ed: This is the eighth part of Mike Menhenitt's 'Walking Through Exmouth History' series. Use the links below to read previous articles:

Part One: The beginnings of Exmouth, from the Stone Age to the Bronze Age

Part Two: Exmouth in the Iron Age - and the arrival of the Celts

Part Three: Roman coins and Viking raids

Part Four: The impact of the Norman conquest, and how places in Exmouth got their names

Part Five: How Exmouth became a fashionable seaside resort in the 18th century

Part Six: How the docks brought prosperity to Exmouth - and then became the marina

Part Seven: The coming of the railway