Porlock Hill

There was no practical transport west of Porlock in the 18th century. In 1794, the poet Robert Southey wrote that such a route was considered "the end of the world". In 1812, the local community was fined for not maintaining a good road, and builders were employed to construct a suitable route. The road opened in 1843 when a stagecoach travelled from Lynton to Porlock successfully. Shortly after the road opened, a local landowner, Mr Blathwayt, decided to build a toll road further north at a more relaxed gradient of 1 in 14 (7%). The toll road was not successful initially as horse-drawn traffic could cope with Porlock Hill, but became popular owing to the increased popularity of the motor…