The development of national markets

• Growth in population in towns increased demand for food, the highest demand was in London.
• The need for better organisations in the markets and improved roads and infrastructure.
• The first Turnpike Act - 1663:

  creation of brand new toil, roads opened by merchants and business men.
• Didn't emerge until the late 18th century:

  • Large amounts of farmers still supplied small local markets.
  • Dominance of London was not entirely beneficial to the economy as a whole - the demand for food drained the resources of other communities in the south-east.
  • Prices of basic agricultural commodities were 6x higher.