Doncaster and Salter's Brook Turnpike Road

The Doncaster & Salter's Brook Turnpike road was built circa 1740, to connect with the earlier Manchester & Salter's Brook Turnpike.

In the 1830s, the trustees submitted "an Act for more effectually improving the Roads from Doncaster to Salter's Brook Bridge, and for diverting and altering the said Roads, and making certain Branches therefrom". The alterations were primarily to ease gradients along the steeper sections.

The turnpike road ran from Doncaster to Salter's Brook Bridge (at the boundary of Yorkshire and Cheshire), passing through Barnsley and Penistone along what is now the A628.[1]

The Well House Lane Top Toll Point was situated to the north-east of Penistone.

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

  • 32 miles and 380 yards with 8 gates and 12 side-bars, passing through the townships of Bentley, Cusworth, Scausby, Marr, Hickleton, Goldthorpe, Bolton, Billingley, Darfield, Ardsley, Barnsley, Dodworth, Silkstone, Holandswaine, Penistone, Thurlstone, and Langsett
  • "This road is divided into two districts, — the Eastern district is in good condition, and no part under indictment; the Western district not in good condition, the townships of Langsett and Thurlstone being under indictment; they have lately refused to repair the road and to accept the allowance hitherto made by the trustees cut of the funds towards the repairs thereof, and now deny their liability to repair."

Notes and References

  1. There are occasional deviations on the A628 from the route of the turnpike road, for example at Flouch Roundabout, the original road alignment was along what is now marked as "Old Manchester Road".