The tolls levied at Cavendish Bridge long remained at an almost prohibitive figure. The crossing of the Trent, before the bridge was completed in 1771 at a cost of £3,333, was by means of a ferry-barge, large enough to take vehicles, and the fare for a post-chaise was half-a-crown, which remained the charge for the bridge, as Bray in his tour of 1776 notes.
CAVENDISH BRIDGE.
Although the bridge was long since freed, the toll-house stands, and on it may still be seen the old notice-board which it seems to have been nobody’s business, in particular, to remove. I am grateful for the fact, for it enables the following particulars to be gleaned:
Tolls taken at this Bridge by Virtue of an Act of Parliament being the fame that were taken at the Ferry, viz.:—
| s. | d. | |
|---|---|---|
| Coaches, Chariots, Landaus, etc., with 4 wheels, each | 2 | 6 |
| Chaise, Chair, etc.; with 2 wheels | 1 | 0 |
| Waggon, Wain, etc.; with 4 wheels | 1 | 6 |
| Horse, Mule, or Ass, not drawing | 0 | 1 |
And so forth, through the various classes of traffic, ending with:
| d. | |
|---|---|
| Foot passengers | 1 |
| Soldiers (favour’d) | ½ |