Soham Now

Soham has continued to grow and evolve. Agriculture has become even more intense and mechanised, resulting in fewer farm jobs but a growth in related industries – engineering and, in particular, packaging and distribution. More people in Soham work in transportation and food packaging than actually work on the farms.

East Anglia was a key centre for the allied air forces during the Second World War, with hundreds of British and American bomber air bases in Cambridgeshire. Although most of these bases closed after the War, the US Air Force still has active bases at Mildenhall and Lakenheath and many USAF personnel live in and around Soham.

Cambridge has also evolved. Sometimes called “Silicon Fen”, it is now a world-leading centre for high technology such as electronics, telecommunications, and the life sciences, much of it linked with the University. Around 80% of Europe’s bio-tech research is undertaken in Cambridge.

The growth of these industries has far outstripped the availability of affordable housing for the people of Cambridge, forcing them to move to the outlying towns of Ely, Newmarket and Soham. A very large proportion of the population of Soham in fact works in Cambridge.

Despite this, Soham continues to enjoy a distinct local identity and has a strong sense of community. Although there has been a strong influx of new people into the town from outside, many Soham families still have roots in the town that date back many generations.

Soham offers its residents a wide variety of amenities. There is a large secondary school, Soham Village College, that has grown from a foundation that dates back to the 17th century, and two primary schools. There is a Sports Centre, a Bowls club and football is popular. There are four churches in Soham – the 13th century Anglican church of St Andrew (also used by Roman Catholics), as well as Baptist, Methodist and Salvation Army congregations. There are 7 pubs, although in living memory there were more than 30! There is no train station, although an active line still runs past the town, but there are bus and coach services to local towns.