The Turnpike Roads of Leicestershire and Rutland
By Arthur Cossens.
Published by Kairos Press, 2003 - £6.50
The history of the development of
turnpikes: their origin, construction,
maintenance, the speed of coach
journeys, tolls, and an example of the
procedure for passing a Turnpike Act
through Parliament. Also gazetteer
which gives details of the relevant Acts
of Parliament and a route sketch for
each of the 34 turnpike roads which ran
through the counties.
The author of this book, who died in
1963, had a great interest in local
history and in turnpike roads in
particular. At the time he died the text
had been completed but not published.
His heirs have now decided to publish.
The first half consists of information on the history of the development of
turnpikes – their origin, construction, maintenance, the speed of coach journeys,
tolls, and an example of the procedure for passing a Turnpike Act through
Parliament. Inevitably most of the specific references are to roads in
Leicestershire, but some of the facts on Rutland are interesting.