Yeovil's Virtual Museum

Jernegan’s Hut Side Gate

A strange place for a toll gate?

 

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. 

Recorded only twice (1819 and 1821) in the annual Turnpike Gate letting tenders, this was recorded as Jernagan’s Gate in the tender advertisements, but is referred to as Germingham’s Gate on turnpikes.org.uk.

The precise location is unknown, but is most likely to have been on the Tintinhull Road / Vagg Lane cross-roads at 50°57'40 N, 2°39'55 W.

It is difficult to fathom the reason for the establishment of this side gate as travellers from Chilthorne Domer and beyond would eventually be stopped at the Kingston Toll House and Gates before entering Yeovil. The fact that this side gate had such a short period of existence makes me feel that the Turnpike Trust had the same idea.