Visit Ely, Cambridgeshire Places

Welcome to Visit Ely, Cambridgeshire Places
The Walkfo guide to things to do & explore in Ely, Cambridgeshire

  

Ely, Cambridgeshire Places Overview: History, Culture & Facts about Ely, Cambridgeshire

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Ely, Cambridgeshire history

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Pre-history

Roswell Pits are a palaeontologically significant Site of Special Scientific Interest. The Jurassic Kimmeridge Clays were quarried in the 19th and 20th centuries for the production of pottery and for maintenance of river embankments.

Name

The origin and meaning of Ely’s name have always been regarded as obscure by place-name scholars. The earliest record of the name is in the Latin text of Bede’s Ecclesiastical History of the English People. In Old English charters and in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, the spelling is usually Elig. Skeat derived the name Ely from what he called “O[ld] Northumbrian” ēlġē, meaning “district of eels”

Medieval period

The city’s origins lay in the foundation of an abbey in 673, one mile (1.6 km) to the north of Cratendune on the Isle of Ely, under the protection of Saint Etheldreda, daughter of King Anna. The first Norman bishop, Simeon, started building the cathedral in 1083. The octagon was rebuilt by sacrist Alan of Walsingham between 1322 and 1328 after the collapse of the original nave crossing on 22 February 1322. Ely’s octagon is considered “one of the wonders of the medieval world”.

Protestant martyrs

Following the accession of Mary I of England to the throne in 1553, the papacy made its first effective efforts to enforce the Pope Paul III-initiated Catholic reforms in England. During this time, which became known as the Marian Persecutions, two men from Wisbech, constable William Wolsey and painter Robert Pygot, “were accused of not … believing that the body and blood of Christ were present in the bread and wine of the sacrament of mass”. For this Christian heresy they were condemned by the bishop’s chancellor, John Fuller, on 9 October 1555. On 16 October 1555 they were burnt at the stake “probably on the Palace Green in front of Ely Cathedral”. In The Book of Ely published in 1990, Blakeman writes that “permission was not given” for a memorial to the martyrs to be placed on Palace Green. In 2011, a plaque recording this martyrdom event was erected on the northeast corner of Palace Green by the City of Ely Perspective. The plaque is located 2 inches from the pavement floor in an obscure, easily missed corner. Oliver Cromwell Oliver Cromwell lived in Ely from 1636 to 1646 after inheriting St Mary’s vicarage, a sixteenth-century property—now known as Oliver Cromwell’s House— from his mother’s brother, Sir Thomas Steward. It is possible to visit this house today.[4] During this time Cromwell was a tax collector, though was also one of the governors of Thomas Parsons’ Charity, which dates back to 1445 and was granted a Royal Charter by Charles I of England. The Charity still provides grants and housing to deserving local applicants. There was a form of early workhouse in 1687, perhaps at St Mary’s, which may have been part of an arrangement made between the Ely people and a Nicholas Wythers of Norwich in 1675. He was paid £30 per annum to employ the poor to “spin jersey” and was to pay them in money not goods. A purpose-built workhouse was erected in 1725 for 35 inmates on what is now St Mary’s Court. Four other workhouses existed, including Holy Trinity on Fore Hill for 80 inmates (1738–1956) and the Ely Union workhouse, built in 1837, which housed up to 300 inmates. The latter became Tower Hospital in 1948 and is now a residential building, Tower Court. Two other former workhouses were the Haven Quayside for unmarried mothers and another on the site of what is now the Hereward Hall in Silver Street. Post-medieval decline The diaries of writers and journalists such as William Camden, Celia Fiennes, Daniel Defoe, John Byng and William Cobbett illustrate the decline of Ely after the 14th century plague and the 16th century reformation which led to the dissolution of the monastery in 1539. In the 1607 edition of Britannia, chorographic surveyor William Camden records that “as for Ely it selfe, it is no small Citie, or greatly to be counted off either for beauty or frequency and resort, as having an unwholsome aire by reason of the fens round about”. In 1698, Celia Fiennes was writing “the Bishop [Simon Patrick] does not Care to stay long in this place not being for his health … they have lost their Charter … and its a shame [the Bishop] does not see it better ordered and y buildings and streetes put in a better Condition. They are a slothful people and for little but y takeing Care of their Grounds and Cattle w is of vast advantage”. Daniel Defoe, when writing in the Eastern Counties section of A tour thro’ the whole island of Great Britain (1722), went “to Ely, whose cathedral, standing in a level flat country, is seen far and wide … that some of it is so antient, totters so much with every gust of wind, looks so like a decay, and seems so near it, that when ever it does fall, all that ’tis likely will be thought strange in it, will be, that it did not fall a hundred years sooner”. John Howard (prison reformer) visited Ely and described the conditions in The Gaol:- ‘This gaol the property of the bishop, who is lord of the franchise of the Isle of Ely, was in part rebuilt by the late bishop about ten years ago; upon complaint of the cruel method* which for want of a safe gaol, the Keeper took to secure his prisoners (*This was by chaining them down upon their backs on a floor, across which were several iron bars and iron collar with spikes about their neck). The gaoler John Allday did not receive a salary’. He records that the number of debtors outnumbered the number of felons in the prison. On his way to a Midlands tour, John Byng visited Ely on 5 July 1790 staying at the Lamb Inn. In his diary he writes that “the town [Ely] is mean, to the extreme … those withdrawn, their dependancies must decay”. Recording in his Rural Rides on 25 March 1830, William Cobbett reports that “Ely is what one may call a miserable little town: very prettily situated, but poor and mean. Everything seems to be on the decline, as, indeed, is the case everywhere, where the clergy are the masters”. The Ely and Littleport riots occurred between 22 and 24 May 1816. At the Special Commission assizes, held at Ely between 17 and 22 June 1816, twenty-four rioters were condemned. Nineteen had their sentences variously commuted from penal transportation for life to twelve-months imprisonment; the remaining five were executed on 28 June 1816.

Victorian and twentieth-century regeneration

Ely Cathedral was “the first great cathedral to be thoroughly restored” Work commenced in 1845 and was completed nearly thirty years later. The only pavement labyrinth to be found in an English cathedral was installed below the west tower in 1870.

Liberty of Ely

The abbey at Ely was one of many which were refounded in the Benedictine reforms of King Edgar the Peaceful (943–975) The “special and peculiarly ancient” honour and freedoms given to Ely by charter at that time may have been intended to award only fiscal privilege. These rights were reconfirmed in charters granted by Edward the Confessor and in William the Conqueror’s confirmation of the old English liberty at Kenford.

Ely, Cambridgeshire culture & places

Annual events

Annual fairs have been held in Ely since the twelfth century. Saint Audrey’s (Etheldreda’s) seven-day fair, held either side of 23 June, was first granted officially by Henry I to the abbot and convent on 10 October 1189. Present-day annual events in Ely include Aquafest, the festival of St Lambert and the Great Autumn Show.

Twin town

Since 1956, Ely has been twinned with Ribe, Denmark’s oldest town and part of the Municipality of Esbjerg. Officials from Ribe first came to Ely in 1957. Exchange visits occur roughly every two years.

Ely, Cambridgeshire landmarks

War memorial

A cannon captured during the Crimean War at the Siege of Sevastopol (1854–1855) was given to Ely by Queen Victoria in 1860. The cannon was cast at the Alexandrovski factory in 1802, the factory’s director being the Englishman, Charles Gascoigne. The calibre is 30 pounds (14 kg) and the weight is 252 poods, or about 9,000 pounds (4,100 kg)

Notable buildings

There are twenty three Grade I, six Grade II* and one hundred and fifty three Grade II listed buildings in the city of Ely. Cherry Hill, to the south of Cathedral Park, is the remains of the Norman period, motte and bailey, Ely Castle. The earliest written record of this 40-foot-high (12 m) by 250-foot-diameter (76 m) castle is in the time of Henry I. Two twelfth century hospitals, St Mary Magdalene founded 1172 and St John the Baptist founded c. 1200, were on the site of what is now a four-building farmstead in West End. Building dates are not known but the extant remains indicate c. 1175–85. Bishop Northwold merged the two hospitals in 1240. The farmstead Grade I listed building status was graded on 23 September 1950 between four properties: St John’s farmhouse, a barn to the southwest (formerly chapel of St John), a barn to the north (formerly chapel of St Mary) and a dovecote. Above the north doorway of the southwestern barn of St John’s farmhouse is a carved Barnack stone which is built into the thirteenth century wall. The stone is thought to have been robbed from the Anglo-Saxon monastery of St Etheldreda. This heavily weathered eighth-century stone shows a man blowing a horn whilst riding on an ox. John Alcock, Bishop of Ely and founder of Jesus College, Cambridge, constructed the Bishop’s Palace during his bishopric, between 1486 and 1500; of the original fabric, only the east tower and the lower part of the west tower remain. A “startlingly huge” London Plane tree, planted in 1680, still grows in the garden and is “said to be one of the largest in England”. Benjamin Lany, Bishop of Ely from 1667 until 1675, demolished much of Alcock’s work and thus became responsible for most of the present-day building. This Grade I listed building is southwest of and close to the west end of the cathedral, opposite the original village green, now named Palace Green. St Mary’s Vicarage, better known locally as Cromwell’s House, is a Grade II* listed building of mainly sixteenth-century plaster-frame construction although there exist some stone arches, c. 1380. A plaque on the front of the house records that this is “Cromwell House, the residence of Oliver Cromwell from 1636 to 1647 when collector of Ely Tithes”. Between 1843 and 1847 the house was the Cromwell Arms public house and it was restored in 1905 when it was given its “timbered appearance”. The house was opened as a re-creation of seventeenth-century living and a tourist information centre on 6 December 1990. The former Ely Gaol is a late seventeenth-century Grade II listed building which since has been the Ely museum. From the thirteenth century, buildings on this site have been; a private house, a tavern and—since 1836 when the Bishop transferred his thirteenth-century prison from Ely Porta—the Bishop’s Gaol. It was a registry office prior to becoming a museum. The Maltings is another of Ely’s distinguishing buildings. Built in 1868 as part of Ebenezer William Harlock’s brewery complex, the Maltings was used to process locally grown barley into Malt for brewing. The Maltings is located on Ely’s Waterside and has since left its brewing days behind. It is now a venue that hosts live events and entertainment as well as private functions such as weddings and business conferences. The Maltings is also home to the Ely-Ribe Tapestry. The Ely-Ribe Tapestry was commissioned in 2004 to mark the 50th Anniversary of the twinning of the two towns; Ely in Cambridgeshire England and Ribe in Jutland, Denmark. The designer, Ullrich described the Tapestry as “a portrait of two different cities in two different countries”. The Lamb Hotel is a Grade II listed building which is prominently situated on the corner of Lynn Road and High Street 100 yards (91 m) north of the west end of the cathedral. The hotel was erected as a coaching house on the site of the previous Lamb Inn during 1828 and 1829. At that time it had stabling for 30 horses and a lock-up for two coaches. In 1906 it had five bedrooms for the landlord, 15 rooms for lodgers, room for 15 horses and 12 vehicles. In 2007 it had 31 rooms for guests. It is claimed that an inn has existed on the site since Bishop Fordham’s survey between 1416 and 1417. It is also claimed that an inn existed on the site in 1690, but no earlier. The city’s courthouse was built in 1821, replacing a previous court in the Shire Hall. It ceased operation in 2011 as part of central government measures to close 93 magistrates’ courts across England and Wales.

Notable sites

The former Kimmeridge Clay quarry Roswell Pits is now a nature reserve and Site of Special Scientific Interest. The trees in Abbey Park were planted on Mount Hill in 1779 by James Bentham, a minor canon of Ely. The Chettisham Meadow SSSI is a medieval ridge and furrow grassland about 0.6 miles (1 km) north of the city centre.

Ely, Cambridgeshire geography / climate

Geology and topography

The west of Cambridgeshire is made up of limestones from the Jurassic period, whilst the east is made of Cretaceous (upper Mesozoic) chalks known locally as clunch. In between these two major formations, the high ground forming the Isle of Ely is from Lower Greensand which is capped by Boulder Clay; all local settlements, such as Stretham and Littleport, are on similar islands. The low-lying fens surrounding the island of Ely were formed by alternate fresh-water and sea-water incursions.

Climate

Cambridgeshire is one of the driest counties in the British Isles. The average annual rainfall of 24 inches (600 mm) is 24 inches. The county is warm in summer and cold and frosty in winter.

You can visit Ely, Cambridgeshire places with Walkfo Ely, Cambridgeshire to hear history at Ely, Cambridgeshire’s places whilst walking around using the free digital tour app. Walkfo Ely, Cambridgeshire has 34 places to visit in our interactive Ely, Cambridgeshire map, with amazing history, culture & travel facts you can explore the same way you would at a museum or art gallery with information audio headset. With Walkfo, you can travel by foot, bike or bus throughout Ely, Cambridgeshire, being in the moment, without digital distraction or limits to a specific walking route. Our historic audio walks, National Trust interactive audio experiences, digital tour guides for English Heritage locations are available at Ely, Cambridgeshire places, with a AI tour guide to help you get the best from a visit to Ely, Cambridgeshire & the surrounding areas.

“Curated content for millions of locations across the UK, with 34 audio facts unique to Ely, Cambridgeshire places in an interactive Ely, Cambridgeshire map you can explore.”

Walkfo: Visit Ely, Cambridgeshire Places Map
34 tourist, history, culture & geography spots

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Ely, Cambridgeshire historic spots	Ely, Cambridgeshire tourist destinations	Ely, Cambridgeshire plaques	Ely, Cambridgeshire geographic features
Walkfo Ely, Cambridgeshire tourism map key: places to see & visit like National Trust sites, Blue Plaques, English Heritage locations & top tourist destinations in Ely, Cambridgeshire

  

Best Ely, Cambridgeshire places to visit

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Ely, Cambridgeshire has places to explore by foot, bike or bus. Below are a selection of the varied Ely, Cambridgeshire’s destinations you can visit with additional content available at the Walkfo Ely, Cambridgeshire’s information audio spots:

Roswell Pits Roswell Pits is an 8 hectare nature reserve on the eastern outskirts of Ely in Cambridgeshire. It is part of the Ely Pits and Meadows Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and Geological Conservation Review site.

King’s Ely King’s Ely was founded in 970 AD, making it one of the oldest schools in the world. It was given its Royal Charter by King Henry VIII in 1541. The school consists of a nursery, pre-preparatory school, junior school, senior school, sixth form and international school. It has produced a number of notable alumni, including Edward the Confessor, King of England.

Countess Free Church, Ely The Countess Free Church is based in the centre of Ely, Cambridgeshire, and holding events across the city. The church meets on a Sunday morning at 10.30am as well as activities and groups for people of all ages through the week.

St Peter-in-Ely St Peter-in-Ely or St Peter’s Church, Ely is a Church of England Proprietary Chapel in Cambridgeshire, England. It is a stone structure in the Early Decorated Period style and consists of chancel, nave, south porch and south-west bell turret with one bell.

New Connexions Free Church, Ely New Connexions Free Church is a church in the Cambridgeshire city of Ely. Part of the Countess of Huntingdon’s Connexion along with over 20 other churches.

Ely City F.C. Ely City Football Club is a football club based in Ely, Cambridgeshire, England. They are currently members of the Eastern Counties League Premier Division and play at the Unwin Sports Ground.

Princess of Wales Hospital, Ely The Princess of Wales Hospital is a healthcare facility in Ely, Cambridgeshire. It is managed by the Cambshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust.

Cantabrigian Rowing Club Cantabrigian Rowing Club, known as Cantabs, is a rowing and sculling club in Cambridge, UK. The club is a ‘town’ (or CRA) rowing club in the city of Cambridge.

Visit Ely, Cambridgeshire plaques