Keighley and Kendal Turnpike
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| Keighley and Kendal Turnpike | |
| Route information | |
| Length: | 54.0 mi (86.9 km) |
| Existed: | 1753 – 1878 |
| Major junctions | |
| East end: | Keighley 53°52′01″N 1°54′40″W / 53.867°N 1.911°W |
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Skipton - Addingham Turnpike Skipton - Colne Turnpike Kirkby Lonsdale - Milnthorpe Turnpike |
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| West end: | Kendal 54°19′34″N 2°44′42″W / 54.326°N 2.745°W |
The Keighley and Kendal Turnpike was a road built in 1753 by a turnpike trust between Keighley in the West Riding of Yorkshire and Kendal in Westmorland, England. The primary instigators were in Settle. The road followed a modified ancient route through Craven. It necessitated bridge widening, reorientation in some of the towns it passed and the relocation of inns and stables. The road was of great benefit to commerce in the northwest but proved a financial loss as the cost of repairing wear caused by heavy traffic was underestimated. The trust's records were lost when it closed.
Ancient highways were rights of way where the only road repair was removing obstructions. In some places on soft ground a raised causeway of stones one metre wide was built for pack horses. The only wide roads were drovers' roads along hilltops. All roads crossed rivers at right angles wherever the valley was narrowest. The hilly road from Knaresborough brought more trade to Settle than the valley track from Keighley. Travellers went on horseback or on foot: the principal exports were cattle and the imports came on packhorses. Bulk materials like hay, peat or rushes were dragged on sledges by oxen even when there was no snow.
The feudal right for towns to hold markets brought merchants and guilds to see value in good roads. Although common carriers' carts began carrying merchandise they were not seen for a long time north of York or west of Exeter. In these distant parts all goods were carried by trains of packhorses.
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Wikipedia