City in Cambridgeshire, England
Ely
Ely is a city where a cathedral floats above the Fens like a ship, and where eels once served as currency, a legend and a pie filling.
Key information
- County
- Cambridgeshire
- Nation
- England
- Population
- about 20,000 (2021 Census)
- Known for
- Ely Cathedral, the 'Ship of the Fens', eels, Oliver Cromwell's house and Hereward the Wake
- What locals are called
- Elians
- Famous people
- Oliver Cromwell, Hereward the Wake, Saint Etheldreda
- Football clubs
- Ely City
About Ely
A city that was once an island
Before the Fens were drained, Ely really was an island: a low hill of clay rising from marsh and meres, reachable only by boat or by tricky causeways. The name is usually explained as 'eel island', and the eels were no joke. In the Middle Ages they were so plentiful that rents and taxes were paid in them, sometimes in the thousands. That isolation made Ely a perfect hideaway for monks, and later for rebels. Even now, when you approach across the flat farmland, the hill still feels like a different world. The drainage of the Fens in the 17th century turned the surrounding water into black-earth farmland, but the city kept its island-like skyline.
The Ship of the Fens
Ely Cathedral is visible for miles across the flat landscape, which is why it earned its nickname. Its story begins in 673, when Etheldreda, an Anglo-Saxon princess and queen, founded a monastery here. She became a saint, and her shrine drew pilgrims for centuries. The present building dates mainly from the Norman period onwards, with work beginning in 1083. Its glory is the Octagon, a lantern tower of timber and glass that was built after the central tower collapsed in 1322. The sacristan Alan of Walsingham is credited with the daring design, and the result is one of the great engineering feats of medieval England. The west tower and the long nave give the cathedral its distinctive silhouette. Today it is a favourite film location, and it has appeared on screen as a stand-in for historic London and royal courts.
Hereward the Wake and the last stand
After 1066, Ely became a centre of English resistance to the Normans. Hereward the Wake, a semi-legendary Anglo-Saxon leader, is said to have made his base on the isle around 1070. William the Conqueror reportedly had to build a causeway to reach him. The story goes that the rebellion ended when the monks betrayed Hereward's hideout to the Normans. What happened to Hereward afterwards is murky, which has only added to his legend. He later became a favourite subject of Victorian novelists, including Charles Kingsley, who called him 'the Last of the English'.
Cromwell's quiet years
Oliver Cromwell moved to Ely in 1636 and lived there as a tithe collector and farmer until 1647. His former home, a timbered house beside St Mary's Church, is now open as a museum about his life and the Civil War era. Before he became Lord Protector, Cromwell had stood up for the Fenland commoners, whose livelihoods were threatened by drainage schemes. Some of his critics nicknamed him 'Lord of the Fens'. The city has a famous connection to the Protector's time in another way: Cromwell is said to have once confronted a minister in the cathedral during a service, shouting for him to leave off. It is a dramatic tale from a man who was not known for staying quiet.
Eels, markets and a small city feel
Ely is one of England's smaller cities, with a population of about 20,000 at the 2021 Census, and it is one of the best-loved for its cosy centre. A market has been held on Thursdays and Saturdays for generations, and the riverside along the Great Ouse is a draw for boaters and walkers. Eels remain part of local identity. Each spring the city holds an Eel Day, with parades, a procession of eel-themed costumes and plenty of fun that nods to the creature at the heart of the city's name. Elians are cheerfully attached to the tradition. Traditional Fenland cooking suits the area: expect eel pie, local sausages and plenty of root vegetables from the black soil. Ely also has a lively culture of independent shops, tearooms and pubs clustered around the cathedral green and Fore Hill.
Beyond the cathedral
The Stained Glass Museum, housed in the cathedral itself, is the only museum in Britain dedicated to the art, with pieces from across eight centuries. The city is also known for Ely City Football Club, a local side at the heart of community sport, and for the King's School Ely, one of England's oldest schools, which traces its origins to the monastic foundation in the 970s. For many visitors, the best view of Ely is the first one: the cathedral rising slowly from the fields as the train or road approaches. It still looks exactly like what it is, a ship on a green sea.