Qua Fen was called Calf Fen in 1628 when it was inhabited by 6 cottages that had been built on lakes that were once used for fishing. On a map of 1650 it is shown as Holmes Common. On a map of 1656 it is called Common of Soham called The Boarders. By 1656 it was inhabited by a further 20 cottages standing on its Western edge, by 1845 it contained about 50 dwellings. In World War II  25 acres of the common were ploughed up to help with food production, and were returned to its former state afterwards.