Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
VISITOR INFORMATION
The
Tourist Information Centre
is at Oliver
Cromwell's House, 29 St. Mary's St. (
&
01353/662062;
www.ely.org.uk). It's open
April to October, daily 10am to 5:30pm, and November to March, Sunday to Friday
11am to 4pm, Saturday 10am to 5pm.
Exploring the Area
Ely Cathedral
CATHEDRAL The cathedral was built by a monastic com-
munity originally founded in the 7th century by Princess Etheldreda, who was
declared a saint 17 years after her death in 680. For centuries pilgrims visited the
cathedral to see the shrine of Saint Etheldreda, the daughter of the king of East
Anglia and estranged wife of King Egfrith of Northumbria. Now the 11th-century
cathedral, within the grounds of what is left of the monastery that replaced the one
she founded, is regarded as one of England's most beautiful ecclesiastic buildings, as
well as an inspirational place of worship. Three services are held every day, all visitors
welcomed, and there are concerts and other cultural events throughout the year.
However, most visitors are happy just to wander through the cathedral, starting at the
Galilee Porch into the West Tower, where a 19th-century labyrinth is laid out on the
floor. Ely is the fourth longest cathedral in England, and the massive Norman nave
with its string of impressive columns leads to the Octagon Tower and its distinctive
lantern roof, which was built in the 14th century when the Norman central tower
collapsed. The Octagon is in the Gothic style, but incorporates medieval carvings that
tell the story of Etheldreda. Free guided tours are included in the entrance fee from
Monday to Saturday, with regular tours during the summer, fewer in the off season.
For an extra charge there are guided Octagon Tower tours and West Tower tours.
Both include climbing up the towers, which have magnificent views. The Refectory
Café, accessed through the West Tower or Cathedral Bookshop, is open daily (after-
noons only on Sun). The shop also sells gifts and souvenirs, and there is a Stained
Glass Museum in the South Triforium. The
Almonry Tea Rooms and Restaurant
is on the grounds, in a vaulted undercroft, with garden seating in summer.
&
01353/667735.
www.elycathedral.org. Admission £6.50 adults, £5.50 students and seniors, free for
children 11 and under. Apr-Oct daily 7am-7pm; Nov-Mar Mon-Sat 7:30am-6pm, Sun 7:30am-5pm.
Ely Museum
MUSEUM Just a few minutes from the cathedral and set in the
city's former gaol, this lovely little museum recounts Ely's history from the days of
dinosaurs to World War II. You can find out about the Iceni rebellion against the
Romans led by Queen Boudica, the effect of the Norman invasion of 1066, and life
among the waterways of the Fens from medieval times onward.
Old Gaol, Market St.
&
01353/666655.
www.elymuseum.org.uk. Admission £3.50 adults, £2.50 stu-
dents and seniors, free for children 16 and under. Summer Mon-Sat 10:30am-5pm, Sun 1-5pm; winter
Mon-Sat 10:30am-4pm, Sun 1-4pm (closed Tues in winter). Check for Christmas opening.
Oliver Cromwell's House
HISTORIC HOME Oliver Cromwell was the Lord
Protector of the Commonwealth after the Civil Wars between 1642 and 1651 left
England a short-lived republic for the first and only time in its history. Charles I was
executed and Cromwell became “king in all but name”—an extraordinary accom-
plishment for a gentleman farmer and MP for Cambridge. He lived in Ely for 10
years, and this restored Cromwell family home not only gives an insight into the man
himself—a Puritan who “banned Christmas”—but also into 17th-century domestic
life. The tourist information office is in part of the building.
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