Isleham Through Time

Isleham is a busy and active village extending from the limestone subsoil of the 'highlands' down into the (now shrinking) black fertile soil of the fens of south-east Cambridgeshire; the River Lark divides it from Suffolk as it flows into the Great Ouse near Ely. It has a population of fewer than 2,500. The parish covers around 5,000 acres of mainly agricultural land which, including the extraction of limestone in earlier times, provided employment for the majority of the village. Until the early 1800s, access to the village was mainly by river although some places could be accessed by droves and footpaths. The railways came in 1885 and drastically reduced the river traffic resulting in much unemployment. A road built through the fens to Prickwillow in 1939 and one built later to Soham made travel much easier. This affectionate portrait of the area will evoke nostalgic memories for residents and visitors alike.