The trust was formed in 1760, and on 16 December 1760, placed its first petition to Parliament to take control of, widen, and repair the road between Newton Bushell and Ashburton.

[1] This led to the passage through Parliament of the Devon Road Act 1760 (1 Geo.

The following year, in 1761 they made "petition of the Gentlemen, Clergy, and Freeholders of the several Parishes of Teingrafe, Bovey Tracey, Lustley, North Bovey, and Moreton Hampstead" on 19 January 1761, due their road being "incommodious, having a very troublesome ascent and descent, that has scarcely ever been considered a public road".

[3] In 1834, the trust was taken to court and it was found that they had not fulfilled their duties under the acts of Parliament, by not completing all of the road as directed, and were therefore ordered to remove the Moreton Northern and Whiddon Down Gates.

[4] The trust sub-let operation of the toll gates to a contractor, and then used the money to pay for road repairs, which was done by tender.