A382 road

The road mainly follows the route of the road built by the Newton Bushell Turnpike Trust, one of a number of turnpike trusts operating in Devon, who upgraded, built, and maintained a number of trunk roads, which were often poorly served by the parish councils who were responsible for road maintenance but often prioritised roads within the parish rather than those between parishes.[5]

The trust was given the requisite Act of Parliament following a "petition of the Gentlemen, Clergy, and Freeholders of the feveral Parithes of Teingrafe, Bovey Tracey, Luftley, North Bovey, and Moreton Hampftead" 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".[6] This caused the building of the turnpike road from Newton Bushell (now Newton Abbot) to Moretonhampstead. At Moretonhampstead, it met with the road of the Moretonhampstead Turnpike Trust which ran from Cherrybrook on Dartmoor to Dunsford (now the B3212) where it joined the Exeter turnpike.[7]

In 1826, a further Act was made to both repair and improve the road from Newton to Moretonhampstead, as well as extend it to Whiddon Down through the village of Sandy Park,[8] where it would join with the turnpike of the Okehampton Turnpike Trust.[9]

The turnpike trust had eight tollhouses along the route (as well as three on their branch to Ashburton, now the A383),[8] of which three remain standing. These were at:

• Forches Cross, Newton Abbot (demolished 2009)
• Claybere, Newton Abbot
• Bovey Tracey (still standing)
• Bradleyford, Bovey Tracey
• King's Bridge, Moretonhampstead (still standing)
• Northern gate, Moretonhampstead
• Whiddon Down (still standing)
• Whiddon North - towards North Tawton and Okehampton turnpike (still standing)

Newton detail granite milestone at Bovey Tracey

The tollhouse at Forches Cross was demolished in 2009, despite the recommendation of the planning officer to refuse permission, as part of a deal by the adjacent garden centre to improve the dangerous junction.[10]

The turnpike trust had distinctive "Newton detail" milestones on the road between Newton and Moretonhampstead, although due to their non-completion of all of the agreed works from Moreton to Whiddon Down, there are none on that stretch. Fourteen of these original 26 milestones still remain,[8] marked with destinations and a distance in miles, furlongs, and poles,[11] and they are listed at Grade II.[12][13]

Bypassing the town of Bovey Tracey was suggested in the 1930s by the owner of Parke, with a proposed route from the Dolphin Hotel North to the road near Dean Parke.[14]

The scheme was once again revived in the 1960s, with a proposed building date of 1971-1981.[15]

In the 1980s, a £3m scheme was proposed and this led to a public inquiry due to disagreement over the route,[16] despite being supported by council planners.[17] The bypass was finally approved in 1986 to largely follow the disused line of the Moretonhampstead and South Devon Railway.[18]

Construction had a number of unexpected elements, including the requirement for special tunnels to be installed under the road for the use of badgers,[19] and the discovery of granite milepost, which was re-erected close to the new road.[20]

The construction necessitated the demolition of a twin-arch road bridge near the Bovey Pottery (now the House of Marbles),[21] despite a campaign to save the bridge by local campaigners.[22] It also meant the 11-month closure of the road to Ashburton as the original rail bridge was demolished and replaced.[23]

The new bypass finally opened in October 1987, being accompanied by a celebratory fete titled "Bypass '87",[24] which raised money for charity, prior to its official opening a few days later by the county council chairman.[25]

The total final cost of the bypass was £2.25m,[26] (equivalent to over £6m in 2023[27]) and attracted some early criticism as being a "white elephant".[28]

In 2021 an upgrade of the section of road between Forches Cross and Whitehill Cross was made, costing £5.1m, and this is due to be followed in 2024 by building a link road called the Jetty Marsh Link from Forches Cross to Newton Abbot Community Hospital, as well as improvements from Forches Cross to Drumbridges, anticipated to cost over £38m.[29] This will also involve connecting to a new link road running from near Forches Cross down to join the A383.[30]