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April 2022 April 2022

BERE REGIS HISTORY SOCIETY

TURNPIKE ROADS
The first modern roads were introduced to the Bere Regis
area in the 18th century. Before this time the roads in all
directions were still little more than the mediaeval tracks in place for hundreds of
years. In 1765 the Wareham Turnpike Trust was set up and they immediately
began work on ten new roads.

One of these was the Bere Regis
road, through Wareham Forest
across the heath to Woodbury Hill
as it still is today. From Woodbury
Hill it curves down to Townsend
Farm with that stretch being called
Cow Drove as it was called before.
About three years later, in about
1768, the road from Bloxworth to
Snatford Bridge was put in as well.
These measures increased trade
with Wareham, although a toll
house was installed at the very end
of the Wareham to Bere road at
Townsend Farmhouse.
The next Trust in this area was the Puddletown & Wimborne Turnpike Trust set up in
1840. One of their projects was a Puddletown to Bere road which consolidated
some stretches of existing tracks, but most significantly for Bere, by-passed
Shitterton and Dark Lane along the section which later became the A35 joining
Bere at West Mill/Roke Road junction. The work was completed in 1840.
The following year, 1841, the Royal Oak to Lychett Minster section was made, with
the link to Morden Park Corner being all new through heath and woodland. Also
in 1841 a new section from Wimborne Hill to Red Post was put in. Then in 1842 the
next section, around Charborough Park, replacing the route right through the
estate land, through to Wimborne was made. The Turnpike Trusts did not generate
enough money through tolls and the venture lost money, but in 1888 the newly-set
-up County Council took over responsibility for roads and bridges. One of their first
roads in this area was the extension of the road from Roke Farm to Milborne St.
Andrew in about 1889, replacing the old "Coal Road" to Deverell Hill.
John Pitfield, Projects Secretary

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