On the north side Duloe Brook delineates the boundary with Eaton Ford, which is also part of St Neots.

Much of Eaton Socon is given over to residential use, but there is a large area dedicated to light industry and trade distribution activities.

The name Eaton Socon comes from Ea-tun (waterside settlement) and soke (local government area in Norman times).

General shopping and travel-to-work patterns have merged over recent decades, so that for many practical purposes Eaton Socon is simply a part of St Neots.

[7] The first definite record reports that an Anglo-Saxon leader took control of a village near the river near Duloe Brook, and this was called Ea-tun, meaning waterside-village.

A mother church was built in Eaton to serve as a focus for a large area on the west bank of the Great Ouse.

[10] The local landholder at Eaton at the time of the Norman Conquest was Ulmar, a thegn (or thane) and he was superior to two sokemen; the soke was a subsidiary area of land and control.

[11] The manor of Eaton included two water mills, a church and a priest; there were 38 villein families, seven smallholders and eight tied labourers.

William of Colmworth and a group of monks, not affiliated to any particular order, was given a site at Bushmead by Hugh de Beauchamp, who had his base in Bedford, in about 1195.

[16] Improved roads meant more travelling and the number of coaches and carriages passing through St Neots and Eaton Socon increased.

The Cock Inn stood to the north of Eaton Socon Green, between the church and the corner of Peppercorn Lane.

In a letter recorded in Letters to William Frend, Mr Reynolds of Paxton Hall tells of "a very full meeting of the Commissioners of Biggleswade Turnpike Road at The Cock Inn, Eaton" in 1800,[citation needed] where the builder of Hail Heston bridge was reprimanded "for his neglect in repairing the breach caused by the flood".

They stop at a place named Eton Slocomb, evidently a pseudonym for Eaton Socon: So the day wore on.

At Eton Slocomb there was a coach dinner of which the box, the four front outsides, the one inside, Nicholas, the good-tempered man, and Mr. Squeers partook; while the five little boys were put to thaw by the fire, and regaled with sandwiches.

[20] The reference is noted on a blue plaque on the White Horse Public House in Eaton Socon, although there is no presumption that this where Squeers dined.

John Byng travelled in the county and wrote a description of his travels: Sandy Field exhibits the same shew of fertility; To the right, upon the hill, amidst woods, stands the new built seat of Mr. Pym; to the left, over the river, the village of Blunham, the beautiful steeple of its church, and the pretty house of Mrs. C---.

-- At 52 there is a long bridge over the River Ouze (an excellent spot for fishing) -- At 53 you come to Wyberson village--; Colmworth Church looks loftily to the left.

To the right over the river is seen the church of Little Barford, at 54 you pass by a range of houses called Little End.-- At 55 you enter the large village of Eaton; where are several inns, one, The Cock, much frequented by fox hunters, and a noble church.From the hill above Eaton there is a view of the large market turn of St. Neots in the vale of which join'd to Eynesbury village makes a great shew: St. Neots Church and steeple, are much admired.-- At Cross Hall, a pretty spot where there is a good public house, The Ram, with a grove of trees, you quit Bedfordshire.

In succeeding years the company opened throughout from Kings Cross to Doncaster, and railway main lines and branches proliferated.

[22] At St Neots the route taken by the railway lay well to the east of the town, farthest away from the river and from Eaton Socon.

[23][24] Unfortunately for Eaton Socon, the rise of the railways led to the extinction of the stagecoach trade that had brought so much prosperity to the area.

The development was not limited to housing, but included light industry, which was established at first on the Little End estate, and later elsewhere in Eaton Socon.

It was only with the establishment of Longsands and Ernulf comprehensive schools in 1966 and 1971 that a full secondary education provision was made in St. Neots.

By the time it was discovered it had already taken hold, and despite the attendance of Sandy and St Neots fire appliances, most of the timber and other flammable parts of the church were destroyed, as also was one of the bells.

The restoration of the tower was undertaken first, and reinforced concrete was used for strength, and Mr Hartrop, a builder from Eaton Socon, was the contractor, and much other work was done by local people.

This caused considerable controversy, quite apart from the discourtesy to Elgar, and in fact the chimes composed by S G Wilkinson, the Eaton Socon organist, were used.

Percy Bentham, the stonemason, carved a reference to the conflict in a corbel to the right of the north door: it shows a satyr snatching the pipes from the mouth of a musician.

Among the faces are those of the Bishop of St. Albans, the Archdeacon of Bedford, the vicar of Eaton Socon, the churchwardens, the architect, the clerk of the works, and the builders' foreman.

At present the Great North Road is still the spine of Eaton Socon; traffic calming is much in evidence as it is heavily built up.

Eaton Socon is in the Huntingdon Parliamentary constituency, and is represented in the House of Commons by Ben Obese-Jecty, (Conservative).