Toll Houses etc, 19th Century
When the Highways Commissioners were setting up the network of toll gates, they went looking for existing houses in the locations which they could rent, or alternatively buy, or land they could lease where they could build a toll house for the toll keepers – thus not all toll houses were purpose built. The maps show some houses actually built on the roadway where the Commissioners wouldn’t have needed to buy/lease land.
When 1889 came and they had to dispose of the toll houses, where possibly they gave notice to terminate any renting or lease arrangements, those built on the roadway were demolished and the materials sold, the remaining they either sold to neighbouring land owners or sold by auction.
This list of Isle of Wight Highways Commissioners Toll Houses/Gates/Bars has been compiled from ‘Notices to Let’ published in the Hampshire Independent 13 October 1849, 19 October 1850 and 14 November 1868, and the locations listed in the Highways Commissioners minutes 13 March 1889 in preparation for disposal.
Over the years the name attributed to a Toll House/Gate seem to have changed or been dropped, which might indicate the position was changed. Some suggestions are made of names changes.
HCM = Highway Commissioner meeting minutes (IW CRO)
North/West co-ordinates from Google Maps
** indicate Toll Houses/Gates/Bars listed 13 March 1889 by Highways Commissioners for disposal (25).
HCM 13 March 1889 with status of Toll Houses as recorded below plus ‘Collectors to be offered to remain as Weekly Tenants at 6d a week for so long as property in ownership of Commissioners.’
HCM 27 March 1889 ‘Gates to be removed and stored prior to auction. Vacant Houses to be boarded up.’
See this additional page for images of surviving Toll Houses and additional comments.
Please forward any additional information, with sources, regarding Island Toll Houses etc.
Near Newport
| Carisbrooke ** | Possibly replacement of New Village | Listed for let 1868
HCM 13 March 1889 Materials to be sold HCM 24 April 1889 To be made good where house stood and cess-pool emptied and filled in (obviously, it’s been removed) |
| New Village | 1864 map, across Carisbrooke Road about Simeon cross - 50°41'44"N 1°18'10"W | Listed for let 1849, 1850 |
| Castle Road ** | 1864 map, across Castle Road, about where the vets are - 50°41'41"N 1°18'12"W | Listed for let 1868
HCM 13 March 1889 To be pulled down HCM 24 April 1889 To be made good where house stood (obviously, it’s been removed) |
| Nodehill | 1863 map, across St John’s Road, north of Cypress Cottage - 50°41'36"N 1°17'42"W | Listed for let 1849, 1850, 1868 |
| Hunnyhill | 1864 map, across Hunnyhill, above Worsley Road - 50°42'18"N 1°17'54"W | Listed for let 1849, 1850, 1868
[demolished 1960] |
| Parkhurst ** | Possibly alternative name for Hunnyhill, but the House on Hunnyhill wasn’t demolished until 1960? | HCM 13 March 1889 Materials to be sold |
| Coppins Bridge | Possibly replaced by Bellcroft and Fairlee | Listed for let 1849, 1850 |
| Bellcroft ** | 1864 map, as ‘Staplers T.P.', across Staplers Road, above Bellcroft - 50°42'04"N 1°16'37"W | Listed for let 1868
HCM 13 March 1889 To be pulled down |
| Fairlee ** | 1864 map, across Fairlee Road, beyond Halberry Lane - 50°42'29"N 1°16'59"W
(Not the Round House) |
Listed for let 1868
HCM 13 March 1889 50 years lease. Notice to be given. HCM 27 March 1889 – Lessor to be asked to allow house to be removed. HCM 22 May 1889 Offer of £10 for material from Toll House accepted (obviously, it’s been removed) |
| Pan (only a bar) ** | 1864 map, across Furlongs, probably about at pedestrian crossing of St Georges Way - 50°41'52"N 1°17'18"W | Listed for let 1849, 1850, 1868
HCM 13 March 1889 No gate or bar, tolls collected by tenant of adjoining Cottage |
| Whitepit Lane (only a bar) | Location not identified | Listed for let 1868 |
| Shide ** | Location not identified | HCM 13 March 1889 Rented at £10 pa Mr. Prangnell - notice given. |
| Marvel Road ** | Location not identified | HCM 13 March 1889 To be offered to Landowner |
Near West Cowes
| Debourne ** | 1864 map, across Tutton’s Hill below Baring Road - 50°45'18"N 1°18'54"W | Listed for let 1849, 1850 and 1868 - HCM 13 March 1889 rented at £10 pa. Notice given.
2021 Possibly the Round House |
| Dallimores
(Northwood ? **) |
1864 map as West Cowes T.P., across Newport Road, going into Cowes, before Mill Hill Road - 50°45'03"N 1°18'13"W | Listed for let 1849 and 1850 – probably also 1868 as ‘Love Lane’
HCM 13 March 1889 report for next meeting HCM 24 April 1889 Local Board offer of £30 accepted. 2021 House exists. |
Near Ryde
1849 and 1850 – “The Toll Houses and Gates now existing in the town of Ryde will be removed to other sites in the immediate neighbourhood of that town.”
| Stonepitts ** | 1864 map, over stream at bottom of Binstead Hill - 50°43'39"N 1°10'59"W | Listed for let 1849, 1850, 1868
HCM 13 March 1889 50 years lease. Notice to be given. HCM 17 July 1889 Valuation by Way’s - £23 |
| Saint John’s | 1864 & 1880 maps, top of East Hill Road - 50°43'25"N 1°08'54"W
Possibly replaced by Westridge? |
Listed for let 1849, 1850, 1868 |
| Ashey | (Possibly Smallbrooke ?) | Listed for let 1849, 1850 |
| Smallbrooke ** | 1864 map, across Ashey Road where it meets Smallbrooke Lane - 50°42'39"N 1°09'55"W | Listed for let 1868
HCM 13 March 1889 50 years lease. Notice to be given. HCM 19 June 1889 To be offered to Lessor. HCM 17 July 1889 Valuation by Way’s - £23 . HCM 9 October 1889 Oglander Trustees have no power to allow Toll House to be pulled down. HCM 6 November 1889 To be offered to Lady Oglander for £10, or £35 with Westridge. (declined) HCM 1 January 1880 To be repaired and tenant found. HCM 29 January 1880 Steward of Oglander estate has inspected house and thought remove of house and ‘make good’ would be acceptable. HCM 5 April 1890 – Tender accepted from William Newman £4 10s for materials – he to demolish. |
| Haylands (only a bar) ** | 1864 map, Millhouse T.P. – across Upton Road at Aldermoor Farm - 50°42'44"N 1°10'37"W | Listed for let 1868
HCM 13 March 1889 Private arrangement |
| Westridge ** | Location not identified (possibly St. John's ??) | HCM 13 March 1889 50 years lease. Notice to be given.
HCM 19 June 1889 To be offered to Lessor. HCM 17 July 1889 Valuation by Way’s - £60 HCM 9 October 1889 Oglander Trustees have no power to allow Toll House to be pulled down. HCM 6 November 1889 To be offered to Lady Oglander for £25, or £35 with Smallbrooke. (declined) HCM 4 December 1889 Offer from Mr. Brooke to take lease for £10 accepted. |
Near East Cowes
| Whippingham, Near East Cowes ** | 1864 map, just before Prince of Wales Inn - 50°44'57"N 1°16'33"W | Listed for let 1849, 1850, 1868
HCM 13 March 1889 To be offered to Landowner. Isle of Wight County Press 27 April 1889 - sold to Queen Victoria |
Yarmouth
| Yarmouth ** | 1863 map – across Hill Place Lane on (now) main Newport road - 50°42'15"N 1°28'04"W | Listed for let 1849, 1850, 1868
HCM 13 March 1889 To be offered to Landowner. HCM 6 November 1889 Conveyance to be sealed (Lord Heytesbury ?) |
Near Sandown
| Shanklin no toll house ** | 1863 map, cross Church Road beyond St. John’s Church - 50°37'13"N 1°11'05"W | Listed for let 1849, 1850, 1868 (now with house?)
HCM 13 March 1889 Rented Mr. Morgan at £10 pa - Notice given. 2021 Tollgate Lodge – probably not original. |
| Lake ** | 1860 map – across Newport Road by the Stag Inn - 50°38'51"N 1°10'06"W | Listed for let 1868
HCM 13 March 1889 Private arrangement |
Rural areas
| Afton, near Freshwater ** | 1862 map – across Wilmington Lane at junction with Middle Road - 50°40'37"N 1°29'46"W | Listed for let 1849, 1850, 1868
HCM 13 March 1889 To be offered to Landowner HCM 6 November 1889 Conveyance to be sealed 2021 Toll House appears built into extended building on west corner (The Tollbar), Tollgate Cottages are later. |
| Niton (a bar) | Location not identified | Listed for let 1849, 1850 |
| Chale ** | 1863 map – bottom of Blythe Shute - 50°35'43"N 1°19'03"W | Listed for let 1868
HCM 13 March 1889 Freehold, to be sold at auction. Isle of Wight County Press 27 April 1889, the Chale house, which had cost the Commissioners £50, sold for £156 |
| Hulverstone, near Brook ** | Not shown on 1863 map, on Brook to Mottistone Road - 50°39'12"N 1°26'01"W | Listed for let 1868
HCM 13 March 1889 Held on 50 year lease from 1865 – if no longer required to revert to Lessor (Mr. Seely). Give notice 2021 House exists. |
| Wroxall on the road to Ventnor | Possibly renamed Rew | Listed for let 1849, 1850 |
| Rew, near Ventnor ** | 1876 map – Newport Road, a short distance east of Rew Lane - 50°36'01"N 1°13'17"W | Listed for let 1868
HCM 13 March 1889 To be offered to Landowner HCM 19 June 1889 Owner of adjoining land declined to purchase. HCM 17 July 1889 To be offered at action without reserve. HCM 11 Sept 1889 Sold for £40 |
| Saint Lawrence ** | 1876 map – across Blackgang Road where Seven Sisters Road meets Undercliff Drive - 50°35'07"N 1°15'07"W | Listed for let 1868
HCM 13 March 1889 Built by permission of Earl of Yarborough – To be offered at a valuation. 2021 House exists. |
| Carpenters ** | Location not identified | HCM 13 March 1889 Notice has been given [suggests it was rented] |
| Cliff ** | Location not identified | HCM 13 March 1889 Land belongs to Mr. G. K. Urry – no lease, Ground rent agreed £1 pa. To be offered to him at a valuation. |
