Birstall and Huddersfield Turnpike Road

The Birstall and Huddersfield Turnpike road was a 8-mile toll road which followed the route of the Colne Valley northeastwards out of Huddersfield, passing through Cooper Bridge to Birstall.

In 1840, the Parliamentary Commissioners for Inquiring into the State of the Roads in England and Wales reported the following details of the road:[1]

  • 7 miles 389 yards of main road and 1 mile 589 yards of branch road, passing through the parishes of Birstall, Mirfield and Huddersfield
  • 6 toll-gates and 6 chain-bars or side-gates
  • The road was "in good condition" and "the whole length is repaired by the trustees"

The route is now the A62.

Toll Points

The following toll points are marked on the 1854 O.S. map:

Route

The approximate route of the turnpike road, based on the 1854 O.S. map, is shown below:

Notes and References

  1. Despite the fact that the report was made by Huddersfield solicitor James Crosland Fenton (1796-1858), it is named as the "Bristol and Huddersfield" turnpike, and "Mirfield" is named as "Merfield".