|
You may view the information for ALL the towns and villages
in Cambridgeshire (the page may be very large)
or...
You can view your
preferred location from the list on the left.
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
The name of this Fenland city
means ‘eel island’, a reference to the staple diet
of its previous inhabitants, the Saxons.
It was
also an island before the Fens were drained in
modern times.
Here, Cambridgeshire’s most famous
local hero, Hereward the Wake, held out against
the Normans.
|
Ely Cathedral - Photo:
Bob Jones
CCL |
|
The city’s landmark cathedral dominates the
landscape for many miles and was the work of
Simeon, Abbot of Ely, in the 11th
century. In 1322 the building’s main tower
collapsed but was replaced by its present
octagonal lantern tower designed by the monk Alan
de Walsingham. The nave, measuring 248ft long, is
one of the longest in England.
|
|
River at Ely from the Watermeadow -
Photo:
Guy Erwood
CCL |
The Ely Porta, a three-storey
gatehouse, was home to Oliver Cromwell from 1636
to 1647, while King’s School, founded in the late
10th century, is one of Britain’s
oldest school. Its pupil-roll included Edward the
Confessor.
Near the city is Wicken Fen,
the country’s oldest nature reserve. Owned by the
National Trust it gives visitors some idea of what
the Fens were like before they were drained – an
atmospheric cocktail of reeds, waterways, woods
and meadows.
|
|
|
[back
to top] |
|
|
Further information:
Ely Hotels, Guesthouses and B&B Accommodation
Ely Cottages, Apartments and Self Catering
Accommodation
Ely Camping and Caravan Sites
|
