The Road Between Dartford Gravesend and Strood

THE ROAD BETWEEN DARTFORD, ORA VESEND AND STROOD The 1711 Act ,vas for thirteen years but if the highway was sufficiently repaired before this and the monies for the work repaid the Tolls were to cease. In 1724 another Act was passed extending the term for fifteen years from 6th June, 1725. There was again a somewhat optimistic provision in this Act that if before fifteen years the roads were sufficiently 'amended' then the Justices in Quarter Sessions could direct that the Tolls were to cease. This Act also provided for a sum of £100 per annum to be appropriated for repair of the road from Chatham to Boughton after all expenses of the Northfleet and Strood road had been paid. This sum was allotted by Quarter Sessions between the various parishes concerned. (See Kentish Sources, Some Roads and Bridges, E. Melling, 1959, p. 20.) In 1737 a further Act was passed extending the period for twenty. one years from 6th June, 1740, and the Trust was extended to take over the road from 'the east end of Dartford Bridge through the Parish of Dartford and the several Parishes of Stone Swanscombe and Northfleet and the great main road from the said Pariah ofNorthfleet to the Pump near the Parish Church of Strood'. A question had arisen as to whether the previous Acts applied to the road across the chalk cliffs from Northfleet to Gravesend and the Act continued 'and for as much as certain doubts have arisen with relation to the road leading from Northfleet to Gravesend whether the same is comprised within the first above mentioned Acts or either of them ... be it therefore hereby enacted and declared that the main road leading from The Queen's Head at Northfleet by the Chalk Clift (now occupied by the Society of Bricklayers) to the Town of Gravesend is and ought to be deemed and taken as part of the road directed to be repaired . . . '. There was also an express provision that tolls were not liable for County bridges. This was inserted to make it clear that the Trustees were not liable to contribute towards Stonebridge at Northfteet for which the County was liable under the Statute of Bridges of 1531. In 1835 the Trustees took over this bridge subject to the County paying them £16 per annum. In 1863 there was some trouble due to flooding and the Trustees found that the County had only paid £16 for two years. After some correspondence the County agreed to put the bridge in repair after which the Trustees were to be paid £16 per annum to keep it in repair. In 1761 a further Act was passed in which the road was defined as from 'Dartford to Northfleet and Gravesend and from Gravesend to Chalk and from Northfleet to Chalk and thence to Stones end near the Parish Church of Strood'. The reference to 'Stones end' probably relates to the end of the paving in Strood High Street, although the Paving Act for Strood and Rochester was not passed until 1768. This is the first Act which refers specifically to the road from Gravesend to Chalk but it seems that this road was maintained under the earlier 232