The Haleworthy - Wadebridge - Mitchell Turnpike Trust was founded in 1760
It was approximately 33 miles in length and maintained the primary route across the north of Cornwall long before the improvement made to the crossing of Bodmin Moor.
It linked with a shorter turnpike at Mtchell to provide a maintained route from Launceston to Truro
It had 14 toll gates on the route and this toll house is one of the very few still remaining.
The St Breock Toll House remains much as it was when first built and has the classic octagonal style which was popular in Cornwall.
It originally stood on a corner of the old A39 and was bypassed when the new improved road was constructed. The corner also had view of the lanes going to St Breock on one side and Edmonton on the other.
Sadly, it is no longer occupied and this Grade II listed building is being left to fall into ruin which is a great shame.
The doorway, in front of the building, through which the keeper would emerge to collect the toll has long been covered over but the two windows through which he could see up and down the road are still in place, though boarded up. Fortunately, one original gothic-style window gives some idea of what this sad building would have looked like in its heyday.
The cache is a magnetic petling tube with no room for swaps. Please replace as found.
There is plenty of room to park close by but BE AWARE that the dead-end road on which the toll house stands is a public access to a local business and vehicles do drive up and down occasionally. Take care with children and geohounds.
!! NOT RECOMMENDED WHEN THE ROYAL CORNWALL SHOW IS TAKING PLACE AS A NEARBY FIELD IS USED FOR PARKING !!
All active UK Toll House caches can be found here.
If other geocachers would like to set caches near UK Toll Houses, please get in touch with The Chens first and they will issue a number in the same way as the Church Micro series. They ask that the name is in the form "UK Toll House number - Local name". If you have a system of numbering your own caches, as they do, please put that last.