The History of Ely

Ely is a small city, but one that's full of history. The name itself is said to derive from the words meaning island and eel – it's thought that, due to its position and low-lying fens, it was once very marshy, full of eels. History also says that the monks of the town used eels as a way of paying their taxes.

Ely Abbey

The earliest origins of the city lie in an abbey that was built in 673 AD. The area was under the protection of Saint Etheldreda, daughter of King Anna, who died in 679. Etheldreda was buried outside of the church, and later reburied inside.

The abbey was destroyed by invading Danes in 870. A new monastery was founded in 970 when Etheldreda's shrine was restored. The site of the abbey was one of the last holdouts in the country to the invading William I, where leader and legend Hereward the Wake remained independent until surrender in 1071.

Diocese of Ely

Around the same time as the rebuilding of the abbey, the county of Cambridgeshire was divided to form the new diocese of Ely. The Bishop of Ely became the Abbot of the monastery as well as bishop of the diocese. The abbey was dissolved during the Reformation where a college took its place. Bishops and dioceses were eventually destroyed during the Cromwellian period, though they came back in the reign of Charles II.

In the second half of the 19th century, the diocesan map was revised. However, the boundaries of Ely remained the same until a diocese for Suffolk was created in 1915. The western section of the diocese of Norwich became part of the diocese of Ely, and it still maintains this shape.

Home of Oliver Cromwell

Oliver Cromwell lived in Ely with his family for a number of years, and is its most famous resident. He had become the local tax collector in 1636, and his home is now used as a tourist information office as well as museum, showing rooms as they would have been at the time. The building itself dates back as far as the 16th century.

Rowing

The area today is still a popular boating area, where there is a large marina. The 1944 Boat Race was raced on the River Ouse which runs through Ely. This is the only time when the race was not held on the River Thames, and was won by Oxford.