With its cute cobbled squares, historic buildings and its towering cathedral visible for miles across the fens, this pretty pocket city is the often forgotten gem of the east of England, overshadowed by Cambridge just a few miles away.
The “Isle of Ely” is so called because it was only accessible by boat until the waterlogged Fens were drained in the 17th century. Still susceptible to flooding today, it was these watery surrounds that gave Ely its original name, the ‘Isle of Eels’, and its rather ethereal, mysterious beauty.
Ely is built on a 23-square-mile (60 km2) Kimmeridge Clay island. The tiny Cambridgeshire city, dominated by its magnificent cathedral, is only 14 miles northeast of the county city of Cambridge, often described as the most beautiful in the UK. Rising above the Cambridgeshire Fens, Ely is a destination city often overlooked due to its world-famous neighbour.
Ely was known for its eel fishing, and jellied eels were a popular dish, even attracting customers from London. Ely’s eel history is celebrated annually with the Ely Eel Festival, which features events like an eel throwing competition (with toy eels, of course) and a parade led by a giant eel. The city also boasts an Eel Trail, a marked walk that highlights the city’s eel heritage through public art and historical sites. While eels were once a vital part of the local economy and diet, their populations have declined in recent years. However, efforts are underway to conserve and increase their numbers.
Away from eels the city has a fascinating history. Oilver Cromwell lived in Ely from 1636 to 1646 after inheriting St Mary’s vicarage, a 16th century property — now known as Oliver Cromwell’s House – from his mother’s brother, Sir Thomas Steward. The house is now open to the public.
But the real star is of course Ely Cathedral. Its’ origins date back to 673 when St. Etheldreda founded a monastery on the site. However, the current cathedral, built in the Norman style, began construction in 1083 by Abbot Simeon. The construction process was a long one, taking over 268 years, with the final parts, like the Octagon tower, being built in the 14th century.
Later it became “the first great cathedral to be thoroughly restored.” Work commenced in 1845 and was completed nearly thirty years later; most of the work was “sympathetically” carried out by the architect George Gilbert Scott. The only pavement labyrinth to be found in an English cathedral was installed below the west tower in 1870.
For over 800 years the cathedral and its associated buildings — built on an elevation 68 feet (21 m) above the nearby fens — have visually influenced the city and its surrounding area. Geographer John Jones, writing in 1924, reports that “from the roof of King’s Chapel in Cambridge, on a clear day, Ely [cathedral] can be seen on the horizon, an expression of the flatness of the fens”. In 1954, architectural historian Nikolaus Pevsner wrote “as one approaches Ely on foot or on a bicycle, or perhaps in an open car, the cathedral dominates the picture for miles around … and offers from everywhere an outline different from that of any other English cathedral”.
Local historian Pamela Blakeman pointed out that “Grouped around [the cathedral] … is the largest collection of medieval buildings still in daily use in this country”.
The popular travel review website Muddy Stilettos said that Ely “has a lot going for it – direct trains to Cambridge (19 minutes) and London (70 minutes), indies aplenty and of course the cathedral. Rolling hills there are not, but the flat, water-logged countryside has a strange kind of beauty you’ll come to love”.
They also called Ely Cathedral “one of the wonders of eastern England”, adding that “seeing this marvel of architecture rising above the flat vista has to make living here a daily delight. The streets are lined with picture-postcard historic houses and cute little cobbled squares, and it lies on the beautiful River Great Ouse, where you can row and walk to your heart’s content.”
When it comes to food and drink, they commended The Old Fire Engine House as “a traditional restaurant and art gallery in a gorgeous Georgian House that serves food inspired by the Fens”.