THE TOLL HOUSE THE CANAL BASIN
THE TOLL HOUSE THE CANAL BASIN
This building was where the tolls, which formed the main income of the canal, were collected from the boatmen. The toll was based on the weight of cargo in the boat and the distance carried; the weight being assessed by gauging and the distance by milestones. Some canals varied their charges according to the type of cargo, but as the Somesetshire Coal Canal carried mostly coal, there was but a single tarrif.
The age of the toll house is uncertain; but, from the style of its construction, it was probably built before 1840. The interior was originally divided by a wooden partition with a ticket window and a counter where the clerk took payments and issued receipts.
The Aluminium Bridge The Entrance Lock The K&A Canal Bridge No.177 The Warehouse The Toll House Acraman's Crane Gauging Blocks Lock Keeper's Cottage The Stop-plank Rack More about the Somersetshire Coal Canal >> Brassknocker Basin
The Kennet & Avon Canal Website
The Canal & River Trust website