Wold Cottage - L6 Ordinary Chondrite

Wold Cottage is a historic witnessed L6 Ordinary Chondrite fall from Yorkshire, England, which occurred near Wold Newton on 13 December 1795. The meteorite fell in a field near Wold Cottage farm, close to ploughman John Shipley, and was recovered shortly afterwards. It became one of the most important meteorites in British history because its fall helped support the then-controversial idea that stones could fall from space. The Natural History Museum describes Wold Cottage as the UK’s oldest-known surviving meteorite.

Wold Cottage is classified as an L6 Ordinary Chondrite, meaning it has lower metallic iron than H Chondrites and has experienced a high degree of thermal metamorphism on its parent asteroid. Its total mass is recorded at around 25 kg, or 56 pounds, and the meteorite is now closely associated with both the surviving specimen and the monument erected at the fall site. As a type 6 Chondrite, its original chondrules are generally subdued, while the overall texture reflects extensive recrystallisation before the meteorite reached Earth.

Studying Wold Cottage provides insight into L Chondrite parent bodies, thermal alteration, and the early history of meteoritics as a science. Its British provenance, witnessed fall status, 18th-century documentation, and role in changing scientific understanding make it especially desirable for collectors of historic falls and UK meteorites. Each specimen represents ancient asteroid material formed over 4.5 billion years ago, connected to one of the most important meteorite falls in British history.