101 Coldham’s Lane, The Weigh House

History of 101 Coldham's Lane

Coprolite weigh-house, Coldham’s Common, Cambridge built c1860

Weigh House, 101 Coldham’s Lane (MoC322/73)

This was built 1857 for weighing coprolite. The building was extended about 1880 to make a dwelling for Coldham’s Common gatekeeper.

After coprolite was discovered in Burwell in 1851, one of the earliest coprolite beds was at Coldham’s Common in 1858. Five acres were enclosed by the Cambridge Corporation for coprolite extraction. Robert Walton paid £100 10s a quarter to extract and in addition 15s per ton for every ton extracted over 154 tons at the end of every three month period.

In 1913 the Coldham’s Common gatekeeper, Charles Everitt, lived at no. 16 Coldham’s Lane, possibly the same location.