The Old Tollhouse

Cadw's description

Location

Immediately facing the west end of Usk bridge.

History

This tollhouse was built in 1837 (dated) to control the already existing turnpikes to Little Mill to the north west and Caerleon to the south. Externally it has been little altered since. The Usk Turnpike Trust had been set up in 1758 to maintain these two roads among others and various improvements were made. The turnpike south to Caerleon was improved 1818-9. The date on the tollhouse coincides with the widening of Usk Bridge in 1836-7 and this must have required the re-alignment of the approaches to the west end. The Trust was finally wound up in 1881.

Exterior

The tollhouse is wholly rendered and painted, probably over local rubble stone, and has Welsh slate roofs with ridge tiles. It is a small cottage in the Tudor Revival style. It has a one storey and attic polygonal stucco front which stands forward from the cottage row at the west end of Usk Bridge, and a additional single storey single bay wing to the left of this. The entrance bay has 2-light casements under Tudor dripmoulds to the first floor, a solid porch with bargeboards and a painted date 1837. The door in the porch is double with vertical panels and shuttered side-lights. Splayed bays to either side with dummy slits to the first floor and 2-light windows (original glazing in right bay) under Tudor dripmoulds on ground floor. The low one-storey extension to left has one 3 + 3 pane casement. The rear elevation was not seen.

Interior

Interior not seen at resurvey (November 2000), but the rooms will be very small.

Reason for designation

Included as a little changed early C19 turnpike toll-house having important group value with Usk Bridge.