Turnpike Roads
During the Eighteenth century responsibility for the roads in Britain was transfered to private companies called Turnpike trusts. These had the mandate to, "to repair, upgrade and maintain the main road", in there particular area, in return for this work they could charge the traveller a toll to use the road, the traveller was stoped at a toll house by a pike across the road which was turned once the toll was paid thus allowing the traveller to continue his journey.The turnpike trusts responsible for the route that became the A6 where:-
The Carlisle and Eamont Bridge Trust (1753) The Heiring Syke and Eamont Bridge Trust (1753), The Garstang and Heiring Syke Trust (1751) The Kendal, Milnthorpe and Clawthorpe Trust, (1759), The Ulverston and Carnforth Trust (1817), The Preston and Garstang Trust (1750), The Preston and Wigan Trust (1726), The Adlington and Westhoughton Trust (1824), The Manchester and Westhoughton Trust(1762), The Manchester and Buxton Trust (1724), The Matlock Bath and Crompton Trust (1818), The Market Harborough and Loughborough Trust (1726), The Market Harborough and Kettering Trust (1746), The Bedford and St Albans Trust (1743), London and St Albans Trust.
This is not yet a full list we will add to this as soon as possible most of the gaps are around Derby and Kettering.
End of The Turnpikes
In 1871 the govenment stopped renewing the Turnpike Trusts licence, effectively ending this type of road funding, control now reverting to the local authority. This was the start of the era of Motor Transport, from about 1900 most of the roads surfaces where sprayed with tar to stop cars throwing up dust and gravel from the old road surface. Soon after this came World War 1 with the roads being reorganised and numbered shortly after. This will be dealt with in the A6 Trunk Road section.
