pen style gate
pen style gate
An early 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.
Collectors at each of these gates received a salary of six shillings per week or "eight shillings until the toll houses are completed". There was also a "stop gate near the entrance leading from Pen Style to Newton" with others at Watercombe Lane, Combe Street Lane, Goldcroft and Dorchester Road.
The Pen Style Gate therefore was one of the Yeovil toll gates, literally a gate across the road, and appears in the 1841 census as being controlled by George Loader (1809-1877), a wagoner, who lived in a cottage there with his wife Ann née Cross (b1798) and four children; William (1833-1897), Martha (1835-1928), Samuel (1838-1891) and Eliza (1841-1908)..
Around 1849-50, a toll house known as the Penstyle Turnpike House was constructed for the gate keeper
maps
Edward Bullock Watts' map of Yeovil of 1806 shows Pen Style Gate crossing Newton Road and marked 'Turnpike' at centre left. The tollkeeper's house is shown to its east - later replaced by Penstyle Turnpike House.
Albeit oriented slightly differently, Edward Bullock Watts' map of 1842 shows the Pen Style Stop Gate still in place.
