The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 6 plus 6 letter word SEVERN BRIDGE
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
S
E
V
E
R
N
B
R
I
D
G
E
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "it took its toll" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case it took its toll = severn bridge.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.