A 19th Century tollgate building in Llannon, near Llanelli in Carmarthenshire, that has links to the Rebecca Riots is set to go under the hammer at auction. The former money-collecting building, once used to help pay for local road upkeep, has since been converted into a two-bedroom detached cottage and will be offered online with a guide price of £69,000.
The Rebecca Riots were a series of protests against conditions in rural Wales between 1839 and 1843, led by men with blackened faces disguised as women. They were one of the most tumultuous periods in Welsh history, and the Gate House in Llannon became part of that wider story after it was targeted as a tollgate property.
Why is the property historically significant?
The Gate House was built in the 19th Century by the Three Commotts Turnpike Trust, a prominent toll road operator in Carmarthenshire. Along with many other toll houses across the country, it was constructed to collect money for the upkeep of local roads, and it later became a target of the Rebecca protest movement.
Tollgate properties were attacked across the country because of severe agricultural depression, poor harvests and poverty. Hard-pressed farmers and labourers would darken their faces and dress in traditional women's clothes of the time to attack various tollgates in protest of
"unreasonable" levies charges.They went by the name of Merched Beca, which translates from Welsh as Rebecca's Daughters.
The riots were mainly confined to the old counties of Pembrokeshire, Cardiganshire and Carmarthenshire, with only one incident in north Wales. They ceased prior to 1844 because of several factors, including increased troop levels, a desire by the protestors to avoid violence, and the appearance of criminal groups using the guise of the biblical character Rebecca for their own purposes. In 1844, an Act of Parliament to consolidate and amend the laws relating to turnpike trusts in Wales was passed.
What is being sold and when?
The property will be sold by Paul Fosh Auctions at 12:00 BST on Tuesday, 28 July, and the auction ends at 12:00 on Thursday, 30 July. Angie Davey, of Paul Fosh Auctions, said the historic building could have an interesting future, if less revolutionary than its past.
"Given the wealth of tourism in the area this unusual and historic toll gate property, steeped in vibrant local history and to be sold with vacant possession, could make a lucrative holiday let or rental investment."
What does the cottage include?
The property includes two reception rooms, a kitchen/dining room, bathroom and two bedrooms. It also offers an outbuilding, parking for two cars and a secluded lawned garden to the rear.
The community of Llannon contains Llannon village, Tumble and Cross Hands, and had a recorded population of 5,369 according to the 2021 Census. The former tollgate building is being sold with vacant possession and is being marketed as a potential holiday let or rental investment because of the area's tourism appeal.
