HistorEly

10/10/2023

Built in 1836-7, The Ely Union workhouse was designed by William Donthorn (who also designed several workhouses in the East of England, one being in Aylsham in Norfolk, which looked similar to the one that still stands in Ely today).
Ely Union was built to accommodate 300 inmates and cost £7000 (around £400k today).

The workhouse had three-storey administration block at the front and on the north side was the old woman’s yard, on its south side was old man’s yard. On the west of each yard was a two-storey old woman’s and old men’s accommodation blocks. To the north-west, at the rear, was the old’s woman’s block. The female’s yard divided diagonally in half being for young woman and the other for girls. On the south-west was the males’ yard which was divided like the female’s.

The Poor Law Board published a return of the names of every adult pauper who had been an inmate in Ely for 5 years or more in 1861. George Household was the resident at the top of the list, who had been there for 22 years. During the 1881 census, there was a total of 123 residents (including staff).
In 1912 the workhouse became known officially as Ely Poor Law Institution and from 1930 as Ely Public Assistance Institution. In 1948 it became Tower House Hospital, closing in 1993. In 2000, it was redeveloped as private housing called Tower Court.

09/10/2023

The Fountain that once stood on the corner of Market Place was erected in 1897 to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria, by the Ely Urban District Council (founded in 1895 and abolished in 1974). The fountain was a erected on the Market Place as it was main meeting place for special occasions and gatherings. It was moved to Archery Crescent in the 1950s.

08/10/2023

Built in Russia in around 1852, the Canon that stands proudly on Palace Green has done so since it was gifted to Ely in 1860 by Queen Victoria. Very little is know about the Canon what we do know is that it was captured during the Crimean War (1853-1856). Queen Victoria gifted it to Ely in recognition of the successful formation of the Ely Rifle Volunteers. The third photo was taken in c.1959 and is used with permission from William Maskell.

06/10/2023

This photo dates back to the early 20th Century (c.1905), J.L George's family grocer's and tea mart once stood on the corner of Broad Street, at the foot of Fore Hill. In 1910, Lemmon's, a local butcher, took over the premises and George took on a new premises further up Fore Hill. Shortly after George opened in his new location he went out of business and he and his family left Ely. On the site of the his original business today is the newly built, The Old Tannery apartments.

05/10/2023

Taken on 1st October 1913, this photograph shows the yard of Club Hotel, which looked out onto Market Place for generations! Today, you can still walk under the passageway in the background onto Market Place. In 1975 the hotel closed and the neighbouring Tesco store wanted to redevelop the site, after a long battle, Tesco opened a new store on Broad Street (opening in 1982). The Club Hotel and yard was redeveloped into a small small shopping complex called "Club Mews" and opened in 1982. Where the people are standing in the photo is now the back of Card Factory, The Photo Expert and The Lemon Tree Deli Cafe.

04/10/2023

This is Williamson and Di**le on 26th July 1906 outside their premises on the corner of High Street and High Street Passage, now Age UK, where they offered a range of groceries and household goods. Shortly after this photograph was taken, Ernest Di**le built a new grocery shop on the corner of Market Street and Newnham Street. This new shop later became Bennett's in c.1919 and has been home to many businesses since such as, Hayward's furniture (closed in 1961), Newday's furniture shop (closed in 1981), Brand's garden centre and is currently Costa Coffee.

The next time you're walking past Costa, look up and you will see Ernest Di**le's monogram still proudly looking over Market Street.

03/10/2023

This is Market Place, Ely in circa 1900. Doesn't it look different today?

In April 1224 King Henry III granted the Bishop of Ely a market. Even though the market was official from 1224, Ely has always been a thriving centre of trade (the River being partly responsible for this), it is believed that some sort of market has been happening in Ely since at least 1216.

The Corn Exchange, situated majestically on the right hand was built in 1847 and demolished around 118 years later in 1965. On the left you can see the sign for the City Temperance Hotel, now a Fish and Chip shop.

02/10/2023

Something to think about during your Monday morning commute!

Ely railway station was designed by Sir Samuel Morton Peto (he also managed firms that built famous London monuments such as Nelson’s Column and the new Houses of Parliament) and was built by Eastern Countries Railway. It cost £81,500 which is about £10m in modern currency.

Originally the station had a footbridge, allowing access to platforms 2 and 3 but was replaced by a brick footbridge sometime before 1902. In 1925 a subway was opened and is still in operation today.

01/10/2023

Today is Sunday, so I guess it’s appropriate to post about the local beauty that is ✨Ely Cathedral✨, so here are 6 quick facts about the beautiful giant:

▫️ It has the nickname of ‘The Ship of the Fens’, because of its prominent position above the surrounding flat landscape.

▫️ The cathedral is the only building in the UK to have been included in the Seven Wonders of the Middle Ages.

▫️ Measuring in at 161 metres (537 feet) long, it is the 4th longest of English Cathedrals.

▫️ It started in 673 AD when Saint Etheldreda founded the monastery which was on the site of the present Cathedral.

▫️ it is one of the only Cathedrals to have resident choristers, it has 22.

▫️ Present building dates back to 1083 and it was granted cathedral status in 1109.

30/09/2023

This amazing building has had many identities!

The home of Oliver Cromwell from 1636 until 1646. Cromwell moved to Ely in 1636 after inheriting the house on St Mary’s Street (along with other buildings in Ely) and also the job of Tithe Collector at the Cathedral from his maternal uncle. This house, along with Hampton Court, is the only place he lived still in existence today.
In 1843 Joseph Rushbrook bought the premises and opened it up as The Cromwell Arms. Closing in 1871, due to Mr Rushbrook becoming bankrupt and the property being mortgaged.

From c.1905 until 1986, this beautiful timber framed house served as the vicarage of the adjacent St. Mary’s Church, and finally being bought by the City of Ely Council in 1988, opened as the Tourist Information Centre it still is today in 1990.

29/09/2023

29/09/2023

On 28th June 1816, five men named William Beamiss, George Crow, John Dennis, Isaac Harley and Thomas South were sentenced to death by hanging at the Special Ely Assizes for participating in and committing robberies during the Littleport and Ely Riots.

They were interred in one grave in the churchyard of St Mary’s Church, Ely. As they were hung felons they didn’t have the right to be buried in any consecrated ground. However as the feelings were strong in the area, locally they were considered martyrs to the cause of the underprivileged; the vicar gave his blessing. They entered the riots together and so, rest for eternity together. With the warning:

"𝑴𝒂𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒂𝒘𝒇𝒖𝒍 𝑭𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒃𝒆 𝒂 𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒔."