Blue Vein

This article is about a location in England. For the blood vessel, see Vein.
Blue Vein
Hamlet
The Old Toll Cottage in Blue Vein
The Old Toll Cottage in Blue Vein
Blue Vein is located in Wiltshire
Blue Vein
Blue Vein
Location of Blue Vein in Wiltshire
Coordinates: 51°24′16.56″N 2°14′36.6″W / 51.4046000°N 2.243500°W / 51.4046000; -2.243500

Blue Vein is a hamlet about 1 mile (1.6 km) south of Box, Wiltshire, England.[1]

Originally a farm, it lies on what was once the principal road between Bath and London. In the 18th century this was converted into a toll road, and a turnpike was placed at Blue Vein with a two-story house – still standing – constructed to house the toll collector.[2][3] The Bricker's Barn Trust constructed a London-Bath turnpike route further north in 1761 (now the A4).[4] In the mid-19th century a connecting road was built between the two routes just east of Blue Vein, and the southern route fell out of favour.[5][6]

In the 18th century the Blue Vein turnpike marked the end of the Lacock Turnpike Trust's road from Lacock, before travellers had to cross the open ground of Kingsdown towards the Bath Trust's road into Bathford. This place was renowned for robberies by highwaymen such as John Poulter.[7] In 1737 the Horse and Jockey Inn was built 300 yards down the road to the south-east, where wealthy travellers could stay, and be met and escorted safely to Bath.[7]

Halfway between Blue Vein and the former inn, now known as Old Jockey,[8] lie three Bronze Age round barrows on the north side of the road.[9]

Blue Vein Farmhouse, built of rubble stone, dates from the 17th century.[10]

  1. ^ "Blue Vein, Wiltshire". OS GetOutside. Retrieved 10 December 2019.
  2. ^ Historic England. "Turnpike Cottage (1181522)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 10 December 2019.
  3. ^ "Image of Turnpike Cottage". Historic England Archive. Retrieved 10 December 2019.
  4. ^ "Appendix 6:Principle Historic Roads into and out of Bath" (PDF). City of Bath World Heritage Site Setting Supplementary Planning Document. Bath and North East Somerset Council. 2013. p. 152.
  5. ^ Katherine Harris. "Up the Hill and Down the Hill". Box People and Places. Retrieved 10 December 2019.
  6. ^ "An Act for consolidating the Trusts of certain Roads called the Blue Vein and Bricker's Barn Turnpike Roads, in the counties of Wilts and Somerset, and for more effectually repairing and improving the same", The Statutes of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, vol. 11, His Majesty's Statute and Law Printers, 1829
  7. ^ a b Buchanan, Brenda (1992), "The Great Bath Road 1700–1830" (PDF), Bath History, vol. 4, pp. 71–94
  8. ^ Historic England. "Old Jockey House with screen wall (formerly listed as The Old Jockey Inn) (1022792)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
  9. ^ Historic England. "Three bowl barrows 160m south west of Hatt House (1018433)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
  10. ^ Historic England. "Blue Vein Farmhouse (1022791)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 10 December 2019.