Yeovil's Virtual Museum

Goar Knap turnpike GATE

One of Yeovil's first Turnpike Stop Gates

 

In 1753, Turnpike Commissioners were appointed for "repairing and widening the roads" of Yeovil.  At the first meeting of the Yeovil Turnpike Trust on 12 June 1753, they ordered that "three capital gates be erected" at Hendford Bridge (by today's Railway Tavern) and also known as Hendford Gate, Goar Knap (spanning Sherborne Road on the town side of the junction of St Michael's Avenue - later replaced by Yeovil Bridge Turnpike House) and the "Head of Kingston". There was also the Pen Style Stop Gate near the entrance leading from Pen Style to Newton, later replaced by Pen Style Turnpike House. Other gates at various times being Watercombe Side Gate, Combe Street Lane "Hutt Gate" - later replaced by Mudford Road Turnpike House, Milford Lane Side Gate (today's Goldcroft) and Jernegan's Hut Side Gate at Vagg.

The Goar Knap toll gate was situated on the Sherborne Road (see map below) slightly west of the junction with Brickyard Lane (today's St Michael's Avenue) to catch those trying to bypass Combe Street Lane "Hutt Gate". It is possible that the toll keeper's cottage was situated in the field on the eastern corner of Sherborne Road / Brickyard lane called Turnpike Orchard.

The Goar Knap toll gate had a weighing engine installed in the period between 1814 and 1819.

Goar Knap Gate survived until 1856, when Yeovil Bridge Toll House opened. There are three occasions after this date when Goar Knap was mentioned in the annual toll lettings as a side gate, but this is assumed to be a mistake.

 

An extract of Edward Mogg’s map of 1817 (north is roughly to the right). Towards the bottom and above the text “Windmill Hill” is the Goar Knap Turnpike Gate - shown as an "X" actually across Sherborne Road. The road seen running off to the right between "Turnpike" and "Windmill Hill" is Brickyard Lane (today's St Michael's Avenue).

At the top of the map, “Turnpike” indicates the location of the Hendford Bridge gate before being moved to the top of Hendford Hill at the junction with Dorchester Road.

 

This is an extract of the 1830 map of the Yeovil Union showing the Goar Knap Toll Gate, marked "TG" at the junction of Reckleford and Townsend.

Mogg's map of 1817, above, is more likely to be accurate with its placing of the toll gate closer to Brickyard Lane (immediately above the 'n' in Windmill); firstly because Mogg's map was intended for travellers and therefore the location of toll gates was a required feature and secondly the Union map above does not place the toll gate in the area of Goar Knap.