6. Soham Conservation Area - East Cambridgeshire District Council

10.5 Roof forms
For the most part slate roofs are of a shallow pitch and often hipped.
Steeper pitches often indicate that the property was originally thatched,
although steeper pitches are also typical of tiled roofs. Parapets,
particularly on gables, are relatively common and lean to additions and
gables add incident to the simple roof forms, but are not frequently
used. A number of properties have dormers and those in the 1.5 storey
properties tend to be cat-slides, but a few are gabled or flat. Dormers in
grander properties are a mixture of half, hipped or flat.
10.6 Location on the plot
Most traditional properties sit on, or near to, the back of the footpath
and parallel to the road with a wide frontage, although the 19 th century
terraces have deeper plans and narrow frontages. Properties rarely sit
gable end onto the street, with the exception of some of the
Nonconformist Chapels, and where gables do face the road; it is often
only part of a building. Later and grander buildings are sometimes set
further back from the street behind small front gardens. Properties
within the mill sub-area tend to sit further back from the street, often
behind quite deep front gardens.
10.7 Streets
There is a definite street hierarchy within Soham with the status of
streets reflected by their width and the properties lining them. The main
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