▁the ▁district ▁of ▁Bre ck land . ▁ ▁History ▁There ▁is ▁evidence ▁ ▁that ▁Sah am ▁T oney ▁was ▁close ▁to ▁a ▁significant ▁Rom ano - B rit ish ▁settlement . ▁The ▁Ped d ars ▁Way ▁foot path , ▁partly ▁using ▁remaining ▁Roman ▁roads , ▁passes ▁close ▁to ▁the ▁village . ▁ ▁The ▁village ▁der ives ▁part ▁of ▁its ▁name ▁ ▁from ▁the ▁ ▁mere ▁that ▁is ▁in ▁the ▁parish . ▁The ▁mere ▁is ▁well ▁stock ed ▁with ▁fish ▁especially ▁e els ▁of ▁two ▁species , ▁one ▁noted ▁for ▁their ▁del icious , ▁and ▁the ▁other ▁for ▁their ▁n ause ous ▁flav our , ▁also ▁one ▁is ▁of ▁a ▁peculiar ▁shape . ▁There ▁are ▁also ▁large ▁pi ke ▁in ▁the ▁mere . ▁The ▁priv ately ▁owned ▁mere ▁which ▁is ▁dangerous ▁is ▁thought ▁to ▁be ▁as ▁old ▁as ▁the ▁last ▁Ice ▁Age . ▁Access ▁is ▁by ▁special ▁permission ▁of ▁the ▁owner ▁only . ▁ ▁Et ym ology ▁Sah am ▁T oney ▁der ives ▁the ▁first ▁part ▁of ▁its ▁name ▁from ▁the ▁Old ▁English ▁meaning ▁hom est ead ▁by ▁the ▁lake . ▁However , ▁t oney ▁refers ▁to ▁the ▁fact ▁the ▁land ▁was ▁owned ▁by ▁Ralph ▁de ▁To eni , ▁standard - b ear er ▁of ▁William ▁I , ▁in ▁the ▁period ▁shortly ▁after ▁the ▁Norman ▁con quest . ▁ ▁Village ▁amen ities ▁▁▁▁ ▁A men ities ▁in ▁the ▁village ▁include ▁a ▁public ▁house , ▁hotel ▁and ▁Parker ’ s ▁V C ▁C ▁of ▁E ▁Primary ▁school ▁attended ▁by ▁over ▁ 1 0 0 ▁pup