Llanfair - Places to Visit - Toll House and Women's Institute

The Toll House & the Women's Institute Building

This octagonal building on the left is one of three tollhouses still intact along the A5 between Llanfairpwll and Holyhead. On the outside of the building is the original table of tolls, which were last charged in 1895, by which time this was the last surviving public toll road in Britain. You would have paid a toll of 1d (one old penny) for a horse not drawing a carriage, wagon or cart, and the old toll charges can still be seen written on the side of the building:

Tolls to be taken at LLANFAIR GATE

For every Horse, Mule or other Cattle, drawing any Coach or other Carriages, with springs, the sum of 4d.
For every Horse, Mule or other Beast or Cattle, drawing any Waggon, Cart, or other such Carriage, not employed solely in carrying or going empty to fetch Lime for manure the sum of 3d.
For every Horse, Mule or other Beast or Cattle. drawing any Waggon, Cart, or other such Carriage, employed solely in carrying or going empty to fetch Lime for manure the sum of 1½d.
For every Horse, Mule or Ass laden or unladen, and not drawing, the sum of 1d.
For every Drove of Oxen, Cows or other neat Cattle per score, the sum of 10d.
For every Drove of Calves, Sheep, Lambs or pigs per score, the sum of 5d.
For every Horse, Mule or other Beast drawing any Waggon or Cart the Wheels being less that 3 inches breadth or having Wheels with Tires fastened with Nails projecting and not countersunk to pay double Toll.
A Ticket taken here clears Carnedd Du Bar.

Attached to the old toll house (just about visible in the photo above) is a corrugated iron building which was erected in 1921 and used for meetings of the Women's Institute. The first ever meeting of the Women's Institute took place in Llanfairpwll in 1915, in a house about 100 yards from this building, and the movement then spread through the rest of the British Isles. The movement which started in Canada remains popular on Anglesey today and this local branch of the Institute is still going strong!

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