By Tim Lambert
Early Soham
The village of Soham in Cambridgeshire began as an Anglo-Saxon settlement. The Old English word ham meant a homestead or village but the origin of the first part of its name is uncertain. It may have been Sae ham meaning the homestead by the pool (sae). Early in the 7th century a monastery was built in Soham but it was destroyed by the Danes in 870 and it was never rebuilt.
At the time of the Domesday Book in 1086 Soham probably had a population of about 250. By the standards of the time it was a fairly large village. Among the inhabitants were 4 slaves. (Slavery in England died out by the middle of the 12th century). There were also 7 fishermen. The village had 2 watermills to grind grain to flour. St Andrews Church in Soham was built in the early 12th century.
For centuries Soham was connected by water to Kings Lynn. Soham was a busy inland port, until the 17th century when the fens were drained. Soham was also a market town. It grew rapidly during the 17th and 18th centuries and by 1811 it had a population of just over 5,000, making it a fairly large town.
Modern Soham
Soham continued to grow during the 19th century and by 1911 it had a population of over 9,000. However it grew more slowly during the 20th century. Today Soham has a population of about 12,000.
Amenities in Soham gradually improved. In 1848 Soham gained gas light. The railway reached Soham in 1879. The railway station closed in 1965 but it reopened in 2021. Soham Water Tower was built in 1923 and Soham Recreation Ground opened in 1929. A new Fire Station opened in 2021. Viva Theatre opened in 2023 and Soham Fitness Centre opened in 2024.
