Turnpike Cottage by Fanny Wales (Cambs Archives)

Turnpike Gate and Cottage, Great Shelford

History of turnpike

Fanny Wale wrote in 1908: The turnpike cottage stood against the paling of Dr Ramsay’s garden and jutted out into the road. A man lived there in 1858 named Howe. He had to take a toll of one penny or two pence from every conveyance which passed through the gates. There was a tariff board on the cottage. One day an artist who had been making a sketch of the cottage went to look at the board, and read that two pence was charged for every Ass drawing. Sometimes at night the high heavy gate would be taken off its hinges by passengers who could not awake the old gate-keeper. The Turnpike and gate were removed in 1871.