Isleham

Isleham is a village and civil parish in the East Cambridgeshire district of Cambridgeshire, England. It is situated approximately 5 miles (8 km) north-east of Newmarket and 10 miles (16 km) north-west of Bury St Edmunds. The village lies close to the River Lark, and is historically significant due to archaeological finds from the Bronze Age and Roman periods.

The name "Isleham" is thought to derive from the Old English "island homestead" or "homestead on an island", referring to the slightly elevated position of the village within the surrounding fenland.

Historically, Isleham was an agricultural community, its economy closely tied to the fertile fens that surround it. The drainage of the fens in the 17th century significantly impacted the village, transforming the landscape and agricultural practices.

Notable features within the village include the parish church of St Andrew, which dates back to the 14th century, and the remains of Isleham Priory, a Benedictine priory founded in the 11th century. The priory served as a dependent cell of St. Jacut-de-la-Mer in Brittany, France, until the dissolution of the monasteries.

Isleham is part of the electoral ward of Isleham and Fordham. In the 2011 census, the population of the parish was recorded as 2,418.