Ely, a small cathedral city in Cambridgeshire, East Anglia, United Kingdom, is a gem of historical and cultural significance, often described as a "city" due to its cathedral but with the intimate feel of a market town. With a population of around 20,000, Ely sits on a low hill, an "isle" rising from the once-marshy Fens, 14 miles northeast of Cambridge and 80 miles from London. Its skyline is dominated by Ely Cathedral, nicknamed the "Ship of the Fens" for its towering presence visible across the flat landscape. Ely blends Anglo-Saxon heritage, medieval grandeur, and modern charm, offering a serene yet richly layered experience shaped by its rivers, architecture, and community spirit.
Ely’s history is a tapestry of spiritual significance, political intrigue, and resilience, rooted in its Fenland isolation and cathedral legacy.
The Ely area shows evidence of prehistoric activity—flint tools and Bronze Age barrows dot the Fens, with Iron Age settlements near West Fen Road suggesting early farming. The Isle of Ely’s defensibility, surrounded by marshes, made it a natural stronghold. The Romans (43–410 CE) built roads like Akeman Street nearby and likely used Ely as a trading post, with pottery and coins found at Stuntney, though no major settlement existed.
Ely’s story sharpens in 673 CE, when St. Etheldreda (Æthelthryth),
daughter of an East Anglian king, founded a double monastery for monks
and nuns on the site of a Celtic church. Etheldreda, fleeing an unwanted
marriage, chose Ely for its seclusion, and her monastery thrived as a
center of learning and pilgrimage. After her death in 679, miracles at
her shrine—her body reportedly uncorrupted—drew devotees. Her niece, St.
Werburh, and sister, St. Sexburga, continued her work, cementing Ely’s
sanctity.
Viking raids devastated the monastery in 870, killing
monks and burning buildings. Refounded in 970 by Bishop Ethelwold as a
Benedictine house, Ely regained prominence, its wealth from eel fishing
(hence “Eel Isle”) funding expansion. By 1086, the Domesday Book
recorded Ely as a prosperous manor with 40 monks, though its isolation
fostered defiance—Hereward the Wake, a Saxon rebel, used Ely as a base
against Norman invaders in 1070–71, holding out until betrayed.
The Normans transformed Ely. In 1083, Abbot Simeon began building the
cathedral, a Romanesque masterpiece completed over centuries. The
central Octagon Tower, added in 1322 after the original tower collapsed,
is a Gothic marvel, its lantern of wood and glass a feat of medieval
engineering. Ely became a bishopric in 1109, its cathedral rivaling
Canterbury in splendor, with monks managing vast Fenland estates.
The city’s isolation bred rebellion. In 1139–53, during the Anarchy,
Bishop Nigel fortified Ely against King Stephen, and in 1216, barons
opposing King John held the city. By the 14th century, Ely’s monks
numbered 70, their wealth from tithes and eels supporting illuminated
manuscripts and stone carvings. The Black Death (1348–50) hit hard,
reducing the population, but the cathedral endured, its Lady Chapel,
begun in 1321, showcasing intricate Decorated Gothic.
The Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1539 ended Ely’s monastic era.
Henry VIII dissolved the abbey, seizing its treasures, but spared the
cathedral, making it a secular church under a dean and chapter. The city
gained city status in a 1536 charter, though it remained a small market
town of 2,000. The Fens’ lawlessness—bandits and smugglers—persisted,
and Ely’s economy leaned on agriculture and eel fishing.
The
English Civil War (1642–51) saw Ely side with Parliament, its cathedral
defaced by Puritan iconoclasts who smashed stained glass and statues.
The 17th century brought drainage schemes, led by Dutch engineer
Cornelius Vermuyden, transforming the Fens into farmland but sparking
riots from locals reliant on fishing. By the 18th century, Ely’s
population grew to 4,000, with Georgian townhouses lining Forehill,
though floods and poverty lingered.
The 19th century revitalized Ely. Railways arrived in 1845, linking
it to London and Cambridge, boosting trade. The cathedral, restored by
architects like George Gilbert Scott, regained its luster, with new
stained glass and a painted nave ceiling. The population hit 8,000 by
1901, supported by brewing, brickmaking, and markets. Ely’s grammar
school, founded in 970, became King’s Ely, educating luminaries like
Edward the Confessor.
The 20th century saw Ely modernize. World
War II brought airfields to the Fens, with RAF Ely Hospital treating
wounded airmen. Postwar drainage completed the Fens’ transformation,
ending Ely’s island status. The city grew as a commuter hub for
Cambridge, its population doubling by 2000. Conservation efforts
preserved medieval alleys like The College, while the 1990s added
Jubilee Gardens and a marina.
Today, Ely balances heritage with
growth. The cathedral’s 2015–25 restoration, costing £12 million,
repairs stonework and adds solar panels, reflecting a green ethos.
Brexit and housing pressures challenge affordability, but Ely’s
community spirit—seen in 2020’s pandemic mutual aid—endures.
Ely’s unique geography is defined by its position in the Fens, a
vast, low-lying region of reclaimed marshland. Situated at 85 feet above
sea level on a clay ridge of Kimmeridge and Ampthill Clay, Ely was
historically an island surrounded by water and peat bogs, accessible
only by boat or causeway until 19th-century drainage transformed the
Fens into fertile farmland. The River Great Ouse flows through the city,
splitting into channels that frame Ely’s marina and riverside, where
colorful houseboats and willow-lined paths create a picturesque scene.
The city’s compact center radiates from the cathedral, with medieval
streets like High Street and Market Street lined with Georgian and
Victorian buildings. Neighborhoods like The Gallery and St. Mary’s
Street retain a village-like intimacy, while suburbs like Ely West blend
modern estates with open fields. The surrounding Fens, now crisscrossed
with dykes and dotted with wind turbines, stretch toward Norfolk and
Lincolnshire, offering endless skies and cycling routes. Ely’s elevation
makes it a beacon—on clear days, the cathedral’s Octagon Tower is
visible from 20 miles away, a landmark for travelers since Anglo-Saxon
times.
Ely’s culture is steeped in tradition yet lively with modern flair.
The cathedral, a working church, hosts choral evensong, concerts, and
festivals like the Ely Cathedral Music Festival, drawing artists from
across Europe. Its 14th-century stained glass and Octagon Tower inspire
awe, while guided tours (including tower climbs) reveal hidden nooks.
The city’s market, held Thursday and Saturday since 1224, bustles
with local produce—Fenland asparagus, cheeses, and, yes, eels—alongside
crafts and antiques. Festivals like the Ely Folk Festival and Apple Day
celebrate rural roots, while the riverside hosts summer fairs and boat
races. Art thrives at Babylon Gallery, showcasing local painters, and
Topping & Company, an indie bookstore, draws authors like Hilary Mantel.
Food reflects Ely’s character. The Old Fire Engine House, a Georgian
restaurant, serves game pies and sticky toffee pudding, while Peacock’s
Tearoom offers cream teas by the river. Pubs like The Minster Tavern,
dating to 1650, pour Adnams ales, and Indian and Thai eateries in Market
Street cater to diverse tastes. Ely’s small size fosters
community—locals swap stories at the Cutter Inn, and book clubs meet in
café nooks.
Ely’s literary ties shine: Charles Dickens read at
the Corn Exchange, and John Milton’s family had local roots. The city’s
green ethos—cycle paths and farmers’ markets—aligns with its progressive
streak, evident in Pride events and refugee support groups.
Ely’s economy, worth £1.2 billion, blends heritage tourism with
modern sectors. The cathedral draws 250,000 visitors yearly, fueling
hotels like Poets House and cafés along Waterside. Agriculture remains
vital—Fenland farms supply potatoes and sugar beet—while small
businesses, from jet-ski makers to tech startups, thrive in Ely’s
Enterprise Zone.
Education is a cornerstone. King’s Ely, with
1,000 pupils, ranks among Britain’s top independent schools, while Ely
College serves local teens. The University of Cambridge, 14 miles away,
pulls academics to Ely’s quieter lifestyle, and Anglia Ruskin’s medical
campus adds research clout.
Retail mixes chains like Waitrose
with independents—Silver Oak Coffee roasts beans on-site, and Waterside
Antiques sells Georgian silver. The High Street’s survival, bucking UK
trends, reflects Ely’s loyal shoppers, though parking gripes persist.
Ely Cathedral is the star, its 215-foot nave and 14th-century Lady
Chapel (the largest in England) showcasing Gothic splendor. The Stained
Glass Museum, housed within, displays 700 years of artistry. Oliver
Cromwell’s House, a timber-framed gem, offers a 17th-century glimpse,
with costumed guides detailing the Lord Protector’s Ely years (1636–46).
The riverside enchants with houseboats and Roswell Pits, a nature
reserve where kingfishers dart. Ely Museum, in the old gaol, spans
fossils to Fenland skates, while Wicken Fen, 9 miles south, is Britain’s
oldest nature reserve, buzzing with dragonflies. For kids, Jubilee
Gardens’ playground and Ely Country Park’s trails spark adventure.
Ely’s Fenland climate is temperate but breezy, with 600mm of rain annually—less than Manchester’s 800mm. Summers average 18–23°C (64–73°F), perfect for riverside picnics, while winters dip to 0–7°C (32–45°F), with rare snow dusting the cathedral. Spring brings daffodils to Cherry Hill Park; autumn gilds Palace Green. Fens’ flatness amplifies winds, so scarves are wise year-round.
Ely faces pressures: housing costs, up 30% since 2015, push young
families out, with average homes at £350,000. Traffic clogs the A10, and
train fares to London (£30 return) sting commuters. Flood risks, though
managed by dykes, loom with climate change, and cathedral upkeep demands
millions.
Yet Ely’s future sparkles. A 2023–30 city plan eyes
3,000 new homes, green tech hubs, and a riverside amphitheater.
Community projects, like Ely Foodbank and Repair Café, knit locals
tighter. The cathedral’s net-zero goal by 2030 sets a national lead, and
high-speed rail upgrades could cut London trips to 50 minutes.