Turnpike roads were run by private companies which used money from investors to set up Turnpike Trusts, which were authorised by Parliament. The trusts controlled sections of main roadways and charged travellers to use them.
Some trusts were much better run than others because they did not all know how best to keep their roads in a good condition.
And some of them cut back on road repairs when they were short of money, so although road users had to pay, they did not always get a very good road for their money !
For more about the local turnpikes and how the system operated nationally, use the links below...

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