Until the 1920s, Downham was virtually uninhabited although Downham Market is rich in history and dates back to Saxon times. 

The area was largely farmland, much of it belonging to Holloway and Shroffolds Farms.  In the early 1920s the London County Council (LCC) bought the farmland of Downham in order to build a new housing estate in its place.  Downham was named after the Chairman of the LCC, Lord Downham. The name ended up being oddly appropriate as Downham means 'the village on the hill'. The Legends of King Arthur provide the names for many roads in Downham as well as Malory School.