History

Bourton-on-Dunsmore Toll House

Built as a Toll House at the beginning of the 19th century, as was typical of the time, taking money from people using the routes to Bourton, Frankton, Draycote and Birdingbury. Income from the tolls would go towards improving and maintaining local roads.

When Toll Houses and Gates were later abolished and a new parish rating system introduced in the 1880's, the Bourton Toll House had a change of use to a laundry and was used by Bourton Hall. It had a coal or wood fire boiler and a large Victorian well as the main water source which was located directly behind the Toll House.

The Toll House was also known as the Round House and a local family would live in and run the laundry for the Bourton Hall. A village hall was later added to the back of the the Toll House in around 1920.