It keeps grabbing the news, the motorist is going to be hit in his pocket with toll roads, this is nothing new it went on years ago!

Travel along the Lichfield road was often brought to a halt by a ford at aston Brook. a bridge was built in 1792 to improve the passage of traffic to the Birmingham markets, fifteen years later aston Manor had turnpikes built in various parts of aston manor to raise revenue for the upkeep of the badly maintained roads. These where situated at cuckoo lane and aston cross on the Lichfield Road, brought in to use 1817. The Walsall Road had theirs at Newtown Row and Birchfield Road, brought in to use 1830.

These only lasted till the advent of the 'penny a mile' fast trains which saw the demise of the regular coaching runs. The first trains in aston Manor puffed their way through aston station in 1837 being the Grand Junction Railway from Liverpool. They all came and went the horse and carts the grand carriages the demise of the canals, to day the situation as not changed much the transport problems are still with us.
John Houghton