# Highways Act 1773

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Act of the Parliament of Great Britain

Highways Act 1773 Act of Parliament Parliament of Great Britain Long title An Act to explain, amend, and reduce into One Act of Parliament, the Statutes now in being for the Amendment and Preservation of the Publick Highways within that Part of Great Britain called England; and for other Purposes. Citation 13 Geo. 3. c. 78 Territorial extent England and Wales[a] Dates Royal assent 1 July 1773 Commencement 21 September 1773 and 11 October 1773[b] Repealed 1 January 1960 Other legislation Repeals/revokes Highways (No. 2) Act 1766 Amended by Highways Act 1794 Highways (England) Act 1814 Highway Act 1835 Repealed by Highways Act 1959 Relates to Highways Act 1766 Turnpike Roads Act 1766 Highways (No. 2) Act 1766 Highways Act 1768 Turnpike Roads Act 1773 Status: Repealed Text of statute as originally enacted

The **Highways Act 1773** ([13 Geo. 3](/source/13_Geo._3). c. 78), also known as the **General Highways Act 1773**,[1] was an [act](/source/Act_of_Parliament_(United_Kingdom)) of the [Parliament of Great Britain](/source/Parliament_of_Great_Britain) that consolidated all acts relating to [highways in England and Wales](/source/Highways_in_England_and_Wales).

## Background

The first legislated control in [England](/source/England) was introduced under the [Highways Act 1555](/source/Highways_Act_1555) ([2 & 3 Ph. & M.](/source/2_%26_3_Ph._%26_M.) c. 8), which was amended and extended by the [Highways Act 1562](/source/Highways_Act_1562) ([5 Eliz. 1](/source/5_Eliz._1). c. 13).[2]

In 1663, the [Road Repair (Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire, and Huntingdonshire) Act 1663](/source/Road_Repair_(Hertfordshire%2C_Cambridgeshire%2C_and_Huntingdonshire)_Act_1663) ([15 Cha. 2](/source/15_Cha._2). c. 1) was passed to authorise the charging of rates for a section of the [Great North Road](/source/Great_North_Road_(United_Kingdom)) in [Hertfordshire](/source/Hertfordshire), [Bedfordshire](/source/Bedfordshire) and [Huntingdonshire](/source/Huntingdonshire), becoming the first [turnpike act](/source/Turnpike_act). From the late [17th-century](/source/17th-century), Parliament increasingly took responsibility for repairing and maintaining roads from local authorities.[3]

From 1700 to 1750, 143 new turnpike acts were passed, followed by a period of "turnpike mania", during which 375 new trusts were created between 1751 and 1772.[4]

In response to the increased development and congestion of roads in England, the [Highways Act 1766](/source/Highways_Act_1766) ([6 Geo. 3](/source/6_Geo._3). c. 43), [Highways (No. 2) Act 1766](/source/Highways_(No._2)_Act_1766) ([7 Geo. 3](/source/7_Geo._3). c. 42), the [Highways Act 1768](/source/Highways_Act_1768) ([8 Geo. 3](/source/8_Geo._3). c. 5) and the [Turnpike Roads Act 1766](/source/Turnpike_Roads_Act_1766) ([7 Geo. 3](/source/7_Geo._3). c. 40) were passed to improve their regulation.[1]

## Provisions

The act provided that horse riders, farmers, coachmen and lawless highwaymen must remain on the left side of the road.[1][5]

Section 83 of the act repealed the [Highways (No. 2) Act 1766](/source/Highways_(No._2)_Act_1766) ([7 Geo. 3](/source/7_Geo._3). c. 42), effective on 11 October 1773, except for acts repealed not revived by the [Highways Act 1768](/source/Highways_Act_1768) ([8 Geo. 3](/source/8_Geo._3). c. 5).[5]

## Subsequent developments

The [Turnpike Roads Act 1773](/source/Turnpike_Roads_Act_1773) ([13 Geo. 3](/source/13_Geo._3). c. 84) was passed at the same time as the act, which consolidated all acts relating to [turnpike trusts](/source/Turnpike_trust) in [England and Wales](/source/England_and_Wales).

The [Select Committee on Temporary Laws](/source/Select_Committee_on_Temporary_Laws) described this act as a [Consolidation Act](/source/Consolidation_Act).[6]

The whole act was repealed by section 312(2) of, and the twenty-fifth schedule to, the [Highways Act 1959](/source/Highways_Act_1959) ([7 & 8 Eliz. 2](/source/7_%26_8_Eliz._2). c. 25), which came into force on 1 January 1960.[7]

## Notes

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Preamble.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Section 82.

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:1_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:1_3-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-:1_3-2) ["Why Do the British Drive on the Left? (A History Review)"](https://www.thecollector.com/why-do-the-british-drive-on-the-left-a-history-review/). *TheCollector*. 13 August 2023. Retrieved 24 November 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-turnpiketime_4-0)** ["Timeline of British Turnpike Trusts"](https://web.archive.org/web/20070820132735/http://www.geog.port.ac.uk/webmap/hantsmap/hantsmap/turnpike.htm). University of Portsmouth, Department of Geography. Archived from [the original](http://www.geog.port.ac.uk/webmap/hantsmap/hantsmap/turnpike.htm) on 20 August 2007. Retrieved 18 November 2007.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["Turnpikes and tolls"](https://www.parliament.uk/about/living-heritage/transformingsociety/transportcomms/roadsrail/overview/turnpikestolls/). *UK Parliament*. Retrieved 24 November 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Albert, William (1972). [*The turnpike road system in England, 1663-1840. -*](https://archive.org/details/turnpikeroadsyst0000albe). Internet Archive. Cambridge, [Eng.]: University Press. pp. 125–126. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-521-08221-1](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-521-08221-1).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:2_7-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:2_7-1) Britain, Great (1773). [*The Statutes at Large: From the Magna Charta, to the End of the Eleventh Parliament of Great Britain, Anno 1761 \[continued to 1807\]*](https://books.google.com/books?id=qb8uAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA183). Vol. 130. J. Bentham. pp. 183–247.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-:0_8-0)** Commons, Great Britain Parliament House of (1803). [*Reports from Committees of the House of Commons which Have Been Printed by Order of the House: And are Not Inserted in the Journals \[1715-1801*](https://books.google.com/books?id=xpFIAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA34). Vol. 14. pp. 34–118.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** ["Highways Act 1959"](https://legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Eliz2/7-8/25/), *[legislation.gov.uk](/source/Legislation.gov.uk)*, [The National Archives](/source/The_National_Archives_(United_Kingdom)), Eliz2/7-8 c. 25

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