Eaton Socon

Coordinates: 52°13′N 0°17′W / 52.22°N 0.29°W / 52.22; -0.29

Eaton Socon is a district of St Neots in Cambridgeshire, England. It was originally a village in Bedfordshire, along with the neighbouring village of Eaton Ford, but officially became part of the town in 1965. Eaton Socon changed relatively little until this time, but on its inclusion into Cambridgeshire a significant amount of development took place to the west of the village into the 1980s, with areas covering Monarch Road and the upper end of Nelson Road being developed in a particularly short space of time. The population of Eaton Socon is around 5000 people.

The village is mentioned as "Eaton" in the Domesday Book, when the manor belonged to Eudo Dapfier. In the 13th century the village became a "Soke", which meant it was independent of the local Hundred Court at Barford. In time, "Soke" became "Socon". The village was also previously known as "Sudbury".

Eaton Socon lies close to the west bank of the River Great Ouse. There is a weir (constructed in 1967) and associated lock gates to allow river navigation. The riverbank is home to a popular local inn, The River Mill Tavern. Nearby are the remains of Eaton Socon Castle. The parish church, St Mary's, stands on the picturesque green in the centre of the village. It burned down in the 1930s after a fire started in the organ, but was completely rebuilt in the original style soon after.