The History of Cambridge Steam Laundry Company, Laundry Lane, Cherry Hinton.
Tucked away just off Cherry Hinton Road once stood a powerhouse of local industry - the Cambridge Steam Laundry Company. From its founding in 1881 on the site of an old brewery, to its final closure in 1970, the laundry served Cambridge’s colleges, hotels, and homes for nearly 90 years.
The report attached introduces the full, richly detailed history of the Cambridge Steam Laundry - charting its rise from humble village laundresses and horse-drawn deliveries to a modernised steam-powered facility with drying fields, workers’ cottages, and eventually, motorised transport. It’s a fascinating story of industrial change, local employment, and community life.
Alongside company records and historic newspaper clippings, the report brings together maps, architectural plans, and census records that reveal who lived and worked at the laundry. It also features vivid personal memories from former residents of Laundry Lane—including one family who lived in a cottage attached to the laundry site in the 1950s and '60s.
There’s even a rumoured link to Pink Floyd’s first single, Arnold Layne!
If you would like to read more you can click on the button below for the PDF of the Full History of Cambridge Steam Laundry Company
You can also read some more memories of Laundry Lane by clicking HERE