A Gilbertine Priory was founded in the reign of the Plantagenet King Henry III (1216-1272) by Sir Robert De Fordham, but few traces of this remain now.

The Gilbertine Order of Canons was founded by St Gilbert in 1130 AD.

It came to an end with the dissolution of the Monasteries during the reign of Henry 8th.

The original course of the River Snail, that runs through the village may have been changed by the monks at the Abbey to serve the watermills in the village.

A wider ‘man-made’ section begins in the Abbey Estate and continues to Fordham Moor, where it rejoins the original course.

In 1618 the Abbey was acquired by Sir William Russell, first baronet of Chippenham.

During the reign of King Charles II, Sir William’s son, Gerard Russell MP for Cambridgeshire was in residence.

The MP’s son William, married Elizabeth Cromwell, granddaughter of Oliver Cromwell.

His niece, daughter of older brother Francis married Henry Cromwell, son of the Lord Protector. Francis was a friend and comrade in arms of Cromwell.

It is reported that Oliver Cromwell stayed overnight in Fordham to attend a family event.

The First Lord of the Admiralty from 1733-1742 Sir Charles Wager then became Lord of the Manor but it was James Metcalf and Francis Noble who made many changes and rebuilt the Georgian House as we see it today.

The house was completed around 1790.

There will be more about the Abbey at a later date.

There were 10 public houses in Fordham at one time.

One of them, The Green Dragon on Market Street (formerly named The Bull) was built in the 18th Century. It closed in the 1970s as is now a private dwelling.

The pub had a very old juke Box, probably from the late 19th Century.

It was made in Germany and has a story attached to it that would not be out of place on the television programme, The Antiques Roadshow.

Many years after the pub closed, it was found in a relative's shed covered in dust. It was cleaned up, renovated and sold to The Museum of Mechanical Music for a four figure sum.