Look at the history of The Hurt Family Private Toll Bridge & the Toll gates of Ambergate, Derbyshire скачать в хорошем качестве

Look at the history of The Hurt Family Private Toll Bridge & the Toll gates of Ambergate, Derbyshire

The Halfpenny Bridge at Ambergate, Derbyshire, is a significant part of our local history. It was constructed in 1792 by the esteemed Hurt family of Alderwasly as their private toll bridge, hence its name.  There were many such private bridges in Derbyshire alone, as the manor house probably built the bridge. Many travellers would use these bridges to cross from parish to parish. The Statute of Winchester in 1285 made manors responsible for maintaining the King's Highway, which continued for nearly 300 years. Early roads were not actual parcels of real estate set aside for the purpose of transit as have evolved today, but rather lines of least resistance where a 'right of passage' existed - the King's Highway - over ground that remained in private ownership. This still exists in vestigial form in our modern footpath network, which now consists of three levels of usage: footpaths, bridleways, and carriageways (now roads used as public paths). In those days, diversions were implemented to maintain the traveller's rights if the road was 'founderous' or his way was blocked, rather than at the owner's request to suit the land's management, as is now often the case. The highway was thus a 'communal property right' available freely for the use of any subject of the Crown and, as such, received little or no maintenance other than out of selfish necessity to overcome a particular obstacle such as a flood or fallen tree. It was, therefore, in no individual's interest to invest time or money in repairing something that would mainly benefit others. Yet, the past generations showed remarkable resilience in maintaining these roads, a testament to their dedication and community spirit. Consequently, the roads were generally abysmal and greatly abused by heavy loads with many horses, spiked or narrow Wheels, and the dragging of sledges or timber. As you can see from the old postcard, a tollhouse once stood on this bridge. Unfortunately, The original toll house was demolished in 1964, and the remnants can be seen on the other side of the wall. The bridge over the river Derwent was built from Ashlar and coursed rubble gritstone. It has two wide segmental arches with triangular section cutwaters, which terminate in piers within the parapets. There is a plain, continuous projecting band over the arches. The bridge also continues as a raised embanked road (causeway) with a number of culverts with segmental arches and incorporates the arch over the tail race from the Alderwasley Wireworks site. In the mid-sixteenth century, the state of the roads became of such concern. that legislation was passed to firmly place the responsibility for their repair in the hands of the parish in which they were situated. The initial Act of 1555, in the brief reign of Mary Tudor, was a temporary measure which required each parish to elect two Surveyors. Their duty was to oversee the repair of roads by the inhabitants of that parish on four days per year when they were to provide 'statute labour'.The more prominent landowners were also required to provide two men plus carts and tools, whilst the Surveyors were permitted to dig for gravel on any wasteland or commons adjoining the road. A further Act of 1562 extended the statute duties to six days per year, and defaulters were liable to heavy fines. Parishes that failed to maintain their roads properly were liable to be presented by the Justices to Quarter Sessions. If they still failed to repair the roads satisfactorily, they would be subject to indictment and the imposition of fines and/or additional days of statute labour. An occasional alternative to this was raising a Highway Rate by the Justices, which would then be used to pay for the necessary labour. The problem that this system failed to tackle was that of the polluter not paying - the significant users of the roads in a parish were not the inhabitants, but rather those passing through often with heavy loads for markets in other places. Their contribution to the repair effort was made in their parish and was but a fraction in recompense for the general wear and tear they inflicted on the roads. Tollgates were set up at parish boundaries to pay for maintenance work within each parish, travellers had to pay tolls to pass into each parish.  Ambergate had such a tollgate, which is no longer there. You can see the tollgate in these old photographs, which were taken during the time when the tollgate was still in operation, providing a unique glimpse into the past.  The posts for the tollgate were moved and placed in Toadmore as a historical reminder. Many of our local parishes, such as Shottlegate, Bargate, Wardgate, Openwoodgate, and Froggatt, had toll roads or toll gates, adding to the rich historical fabric of our region. As local history enthusiasts, residents of Derbyshire, & students studying local heritage, it is our responsibility to preserve & share these stories,  ensuring that the rich historical fabric of our region is not forgotten.