Walking. Gossip. Travel.

Tag: Ely

Ely – Ely Stones

[I originally posted this in July 2018, but have reposted it to fix the broken image links]

I thought that this was an interesting idea, they’re stones placed into the brickwork of the market which reflect various parts of the town’s history and heritage. Some of the stones were under the market stalls when I visited, but the above sign names the 12 different stones.

The stones are:

(i) City of Ely Crest

(ii) Ribe Crest

(iii) East Cambridgeshire District Council Crest

(iv) Ely Cathedral

(v) Cambridgeshire Regiment

(vi) Showman’s Guild of Great Britain

(vii) Princess of Wales Royal Air Force Hospital

(viii) HMS Walpole

(ix) Barrell and Grapes

(x) Eels and Basket

(xi) Windmill

(xii) Wheatsheaf

The Ely Cathedral stone.

The Showman’s Guild of Great Britain stone.

August 18, 2025
Ely – Oliver Cromwell’s House

[I originally posted this in July 2018 relating to a visit from 2016. I’ve reposted it to fix the broken image links]

This property was the former residence of Oliver Cromwell, the only former residence of the Lord Protector which still exists, with the exception of his brief time at Hampton Court. The property has had numerous uses over the years, having been turned into a pub by the nineteenth century. The property was also used as a vicarage for the adjoining St. Mary’s Church and is now used as a museum and tourist information office.

Cromwell inherited this property in 1636 and also took on the responsibility of being the collector of tithes for Ely Cathedral. The timing was fortune for Cromwell who had fallen on hard times and had to sell his properties in Huntingdon (for which he was the MP from 1628 until 1629). His restored wealth and importance was of a benefit to him when he became the MP for Cambridge in 1640.

This plaque reads “the home of Oliver Cromwell and his family. Cromwell rose to power during the English Civil Wars, to become ‘Lord Protector of the Commonwealth’ during England’s brief period as a republic in the mid-17th century. The Cromwell family lived in Ely for some ten years from 1636 until 1646”.

The entrance to Cromwell’s bedroom.

I didn’t see a ghost…..

A wooden statue of Cromwell.

A fireplace in the family’s kitchen.

Displays of food that might have been eaten at the time that Cromwell’s family lived here.

A period recreation of Oliver Cromwell working in one of the rooms, of which there are eight in the museum. There are also numerous inter-active exhibits and displays to hold the attention of children.

The museum uses its displays to tell the story of Cromwell and for visitors to make their own decision on whether he was a good man or a bad man. As usual, these things aren’t black and white, but the displays are thoughtfully put together.

There are displays which tell the history of the building, as well as the story of how Oliver Cromwell came to prominence. There’s also an explanation of the English Civil War and Cromwell’s importance in that.

There’s an admission charge of £5 for adults and £3.50 for children, with a visit lasting for around an hour. [As of 2025 it’s now £8 for adults and £5.50 for children].

August 18, 2025
Ely – Hereward Pub

[I originally posted this in July 2018, but have reposted it to fix the broken image links]

This is another Stonegate pub in Ely and although it seems to be suffering from some poor reviews at the moment, I thought it only fair to try it for myself.

The bar was tidy and organised, and a staff member came over to serve me when she saw I was waiting. All very efficient and the staff member was friendly and engaging, so it felt a welcoming pub.

An offer that has limited availability during the week, but that’s a good ideal when the offer is on.

Unfortunately, there was just one real ale which was actually available, which was the Jenning’s Cumberland beer. It’s a golden ale which is middle of the road, but it was keenly priced and tasted well-kept.

The lunch offer was better advertised than in the Minister Tavern that I had visited just before, which is also Stonegate. Again, fairly priced and the real ale I had was discounted because of my CAMRA membership.

The interior is functional and clean, although there’s little of historic merit. I actually thought that this pub was better than some of the reviews suggested. I visited on a quiet Friday afternoon, but I got the impression that this was a much livelier venue in the evenings, which might explain some of the more negative reviews.

The service was warm and friendly, the tables were cleared down regularly and the atmosphere was welcoming and comfortable. The selection of real ales, down to just one, wasn’t great, but the staff member apologised for that so I assume there’s normally a wider choice. But, it’s a perfectly acceptable pub and worth visiting.

August 18, 2025
Ely – The Minster Tavern

[I originally posted this in July 2018, but have reposted it to fix the broken image links]

This Stonegate pub is located near to Ely Cathedral and the building looks interesting and well presented. It seems that the pub was formerly known as the Greyhound in the nineteenth century, but it hasn’t retained any of its historic interior.

I didn’t sense any ghosts or hauntings during my visit…

There was nothing particularly interesting in terms of real ale, but there was a choice of four different ales, which is a reasonable number. The Hobgoblin was the darkest they had during my visit and it tasted well-kept and was at the appropriate temperature.

The bar was organised, the staff were serving customers in turn and it all looked clean and tidy.

I had intended to get food, but there were signs for their Friday special offer of a meal and a drink, but few menus actually available to explain what was on that offer. Indeed, I found the menu too late, otherwise I’d have ordered from it.

The main menu was quite reliant on their two meals for £9.49 or £10.49 and all their desserts were two for one. This inspired thinking makes the menu mostly useless for one person, so I abandoned my plans to eat there which was a little frustrating. The entire menu, especially the breakfast selection, does though seem rather dated and tired, similar to what Wetherspoons were doing fifteen years ago. Having said that, I didn’t notice anyone seeming to be unhappy with their food, so it seemed to be meeting expectations.

The pub was advertising its music quiz.

There was a quieter area to the rear of the pub, which was extremely hot during my visit, but this was during the summer heatwave and so wasn’t really the pub’s fault.

Overall, the location was pleasant and the prices were towards the lower end of the scale for pints. They also offer a discount for CAMRA members which makes the pricing even more acceptable. The staff were also friendly and helpful, so there was a welcoming feel to the whole pub.

August 15, 2025
Ely – Drayman’s Son

[I originally posted this in July 2018, but have reposted it to fix the broken image links. I didn’t note at the time, likely as I didn’t know, that this is the taproom of the rather wonderful Three Blind Mice brewery]

I had intended to visit Ely museum and some other historic sites today, but it’s too hot, so I decided to visit some pubs instead. This wasn’t a difficult decision if I’m being honest.

The Drayman’s Son was the pub that came recommended, and I certainly wasn’t disappointed with my visit. It was on-trend, friendly, innovative and interesting. Ely isn’t perhaps overwhelmed by pubs like that, so I hope that this one does well.

The barman was helpful and engaging, and actually responded to my question of “do you have any dark beers?” in an enthusiastic manner. Sometimes the response in summer to that question is more like I’ve stabbed their kitten to death on the bar. He was conversational and engaging as well, it was an excellent first impression. There’s an interesting beer selection as well, there were numerous options on there that were tempting.

They had Prasto’s Porter from Boudicca Brewery, so I didn’t feel I couldn’t order that (I’ve rather overdone the negatives there…). Emma should be pleased with me! The porter was excellent, served at the appropriate slightly chilled temperature and having a rich and pleasant taste.

A map of where customers to the pub had come from. It’s a nice idea that works well in a pub like this. And, given the ridiculous heat when I visited, that fan was really appreciated.

Quirky and interesting, it’s a well thought out use of this former shop.

I like the railway memorabilia, it’s appropriate to Ely and it adds extra character to the pub. The pub also offers a discount to CAMRA members who show their card.

It’s only a small pub and there are just individual toilets, but they’re clean and functional.

I liked this pub, it’s contemporary without feeling forced or staged, and the service was friendly and engaging. The beer selection had been thought through and the pint I had was well-kept. In a town where pubs can fall into the trap of being just too generic, this was perfect.

August 15, 2025
Ely – Community Herb Garden

This is a rather nice idea, a community herb garden at Ely railway station. I don’t know much about who has organised this, but what a wonderful project.

Sorrel and lemon thyme.

Parsley.

Apple mint.

Rosemary.

It’d be an interesting project to extend this to more railway stations, although preferably of course only locations where the local ‘wits’ won’t damage them.

October 29, 2019
Ely – Happy to Chat Bench

I’ve heard about this concept and seen it in photos, but this is the first time that I’ve actually seen one. This bench is at Ely railway station and what a very lovely idea. Congratulations to Greater Anglia, the British Transport Police and the Samaritans.

October 28, 2019
Ely – Flying Dustman

I’ve never heard about this rail operation before, although that’s no great surprise since the transportation of rubbish isn’t something that I’m an expert in. Anyway, Biffa have two locomotives which operate across the rail network which transport waste around, meaning that at least journeys don’t have to be undertaken by road.

I have to give credit to the operators for their train name, the Flying Dustman. Others seem equally impressed, as Biffa are encouraging rail users to post photos of the locomotive to post on Twitter. But just posting here will suffice me, but it’s still all a marvellous idea and, without sounding like a train spotter, I saw this at Ely railway station.

October 23, 2019
Ely – Ely Cathedral

I had a little time spare in Ely and so I decided I should spent all of that in the city’s beautiful Cathedral. Work started on the current building in the late eleventh century, although there was a church here before that date.

The Cathedral fell into a state of disrepair in the sixteenth century and there was talk during the Commonwealth period of entirely demolishing it. The Cathedral was repaired in the late seventeenth century and there were substantial repairs which took place in the mid nineteenth century.

It’s possible to just enter at the end of the nave and take a look at the interior for free, but it’s not possible to go any further without paying. I was aware though that visitors are able to pay and get free entry for the rest of the year, which is what I decided to do.

I do rather feel though that the Cathedral has gone just a little beyond what is reasonable with its attempts to upsell to visitors. It was plainly visible during the short time I was at the counter that visitors were uncomfortable with it, and if Greggs tried that on me I’d be e-mailing them…

So visitors currently ask for a ticket, and are then upsold to a tower tour, are then upsold to the stained glass museum and then upsold to a luxury package which includes a hot drink in the cafe. There’s then an upsell to a basic guidebook and then a more advanced guidebook, with visitors being given nothing for free such as a basic leaflet.

When visitors leave the Cathedral they’re also forced to go through the shop and there are some rather unnecessary displays aimed at children. I wonder whether the management should be told they’re not running Alton Towers and I did half expect to find a Starbucks half way down the nave, but they have managed to draw the line there. Although I’d consider accepting a Greggs in the nave if they felt it would be financially advantageous…

The Cathedral’s charging policy has ensured that the building was quiet inside, and the number of visitors on a warm summer’s day seemed rather low to me.

A view back towards the entrance. I need to go back to using my proper camera either the Cathedral is leaning or my phone was tilted slightly…

In 1322 some enthusiastic civil engineers were busying themselves constructing a new Lady Chapel and it’s thought that this work caused the central Cathedral tower to collapse. This was far from ideal and the engineers thought they’d better stop and deal with the minor problem that the building had a large hole in it and the choirs were badly damaged.

So, some philosophers and architects got together to design a replacement structure and this is call the Octagon, or Lantern, Tower. It’s beautiful and is now one of the building’s architectural highlights. The decision not to replace the tower was partly for structural reasons, but it has also given it an individual character.

The window of the Lady Chapel, which was sadly seriously damaged during the Reformation when a large number of sculptures were destroyed. Work on the Lady Chapel had started in 1321, was suspended when the civil engineers caused the collapse of the central tower, but the work was eventually finished in 1349.

One of the hundreds of vandalised sculptures from the Reformation.

The other end of the Lady Chapel, which was used as a parish church for some centuries following the Dissolution of the Monasteries. Its reconnection with the Cathedral is relatively recent, from 1938.

The choir stalls.

The transept has some considerable height to it.

And the other side.

The beautiful painted roof of the nave and although the paintwork dates from the nineteenth century Victorian restoration, the wood under it dates from the fourteenth century.

A sculpture designed by David Wynne which aims to portray the moment that Mary Magdalene recognised Jesus.

This is the tomb of Bishop Thomas Goodrich, the Bishop of Ely from 1534 until 1544. He was granted the role by Thomas Cranmer and had previously been a Royal Chaplain. He decided he liked the Reformation and in 1541 he ordered the destruction of the sculptures in the Lady Chapel, the smashing of much of the stained glass windows and the removal of shrines. He later became the Lord High Chancellor and when the Monarch once again went Catholic he decided that he would shift his most sincerely held religious views again…..

An interesting little memorial.

The Cathedral’s time capsule placed there to mark the Millennium.

The rather grand entrance to Bishop Alcock’s Chantry Chapel, work on which was started in 1488. The Bishop founded Jesus College at Cambridge University and there were initially plans for the chapel to be larger.

I liked this because of the animal (I have no idea what it is) that was looking at me…. It’s the tomb and canopy of the Tiptoft Family and probably dates to the fourteenth or fifteenth century.

The Cathedral’s pulpit and when I was there someone came to offer prayers from it every hour. I thought that was a nice touch, nothing too excessive, but just a reminder that the building is a working and active religious institution.

The tomb of Henry Caesar, who was the Dean of Ely between 1614 and 1636. Money which he left to fund scholarships to Jesus College at Cambridge University and to offer extra pay to Minor Canons and Lay Clerks was borrowed by King Charles I and never repaid.

The rather colourful tomb of Robert Steward, a close relation of Oliver Cromwell, which dates to the late sixteenth century.

I have read books by Charles Merivale, but I didn’t realise that he was also the Dean of the Cathedral. He was one of the people responsible for planning the first Oxford versus Cambridge boat race, which first took place in 1829 and Merivale rowed for the Cambridge University team.

The bell from St. Nicholas Church in Feltwell which fell in 1898 and which was given to the Cathedral in 1976. The bell was originally cast in the fifteenth century.

One of the Cathedral aisles.

I thought that this was interesting, it’s the original floor tiling which led from the North Choir Aisle to the Lady Chapel. The tiling dates to the early fourteenth century and was intended to form the design of a mosaic.

My visit wasn’t as long as I’d like, but since I go back for free for another twelve months, I shall be back, and will go on a tower tour when the weather is favourable.

August 1, 2018