Ely, United Kingdom: Self-Guided Walking Tour

The best things to do in Ely include visiting Ely Cathedral, exploring local museums, and discovering the historic places around this small cathedral city in the Fens. Ely is especially rewarding for travellers interested in medieval architecture, religious history, engineering and the relationship between the city and its watery landscape. Neywo has a free audio guide for Ely with 15 narrated places, available in 11 languages.

Ely is in England, in the United Kingdom, and its most recognisable landmark rises dramatically above the flat surroundings. The city’s compact historic centre makes it possible to explore several important sites on foot, while the museums offer more context about the people, buildings and engineering that shaped the Fens.

What to see in Ely

Ely Cathedral

Ely Cathedral is the city’s defining sight and the essential starting point for any visit. Known locally as the “Ship of the Fens”, its profile stands out against the flat, watery landscape.

The cathedral’s history reaches back to an abbey founded in 672 by Saint Æthelthryth, also known as Etheldreda. The earliest parts of the present building date from 1083, and Ely was granted cathedral status in 1109. Before the Reformation, it was dedicated to Saint Etheldreda and Saint Peter; it was later refounded under its present dedication, the Cathedral Church of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Ely.

The building combines several architectural styles. Its origins are in monumental Romanesque architecture, while the Galilee Porch, Lady Chapel and choir were later rebuilt in the more exuberant Decorated Gothic style. The central octagonal tower and its lantern are particularly distinctive, creating an impressive interior space. Together with the West Tower, they dominate the surrounding landscape.

Stained Glass Museum

Inside Ely Cathedral, the Stained Glass Museum explores the history and craft of stained glass. It is the only museum in the United Kingdom devoted exclusively to the art form.

The nationally significant collection covers the period from the thirteenth century to the present day. Around 125 stained glass panels are displayed alongside designs, materials and tools, giving an insight into both the finished works and the processes used to create them.

The museum was founded in 1972 to protect stained glass from churches that were being closed. It opened to the public in 1979 in the cathedral’s north triforium, before moving to a larger exhibition space in the south triforium in 2000.

Ely Museum

Ely Museum is housed in the Old Gaol on Market Street and focuses on the history of the city and the surrounding Fens. Its collections trace the draining and cultivation of the Fens, as well as the construction of Ely Cathedral.

The museum helps explain how the landscape and the city developed together. The Old Gaol setting adds another historic layer to the visit, making this a useful stop for understanding Ely beyond its cathedral.

Ely Castle and Cherry Hill

A few steps from Ely Cathedral, Cherry Hill marks the traditional location of Ely Castle. Very little of the medieval castle survives, but the mound preserves the memory of a motte and bailey castle that once stood in the cathedral city.

The quiet rise provides a reminder of Ely’s medieval defensive history and offers a change of scale from the cathedral’s imposing architecture.

Oliver Cromwell’s House

Oliver Cromwell’s House is a historic home and museum that was the family home of Oliver Cromwell from 1636 to 1646. The house presents an impression of domestic life during his lifetime.

Its own history extends further back. The kitchen dates from around 1215, while other parts of the building were added later. The house also served as the vicarage of the adjacent St Mary’s Church until 1986. One of its most distinctive features is the contrast between the medieval kitchen and the later rooms, which reflect the building’s long development and its connection with Cromwell’s family.

Parish Church of St Mary

Near the Bishop’s Palace, St Mary’s Church is one of the important historic buildings in East Cambridgeshire. Its principal construction dates from the thirteenth century, and it was designated a Grade I listed building in 1950.

Its location close to Ely Cathedral makes it a natural addition to a walk through the city’s historic centre.

St Peter in Ely

St Peter-in-Ely, also known as St Peter’s Church, has served Ely’s riverside district since it opened for worship in 1890. The chapel was established to minister to people living and working in this part of the city and belongs to the Diocese of Ely.

The stone building is in the Early Decorated style. Its plan includes a chancel, nave, south porch and a south-west bell turret containing one bell. It follows the Anglo-Catholic, or high-church, tradition of the Church of England.

St Etheldreda’s Church, Ely

St Etheldreda’s Church is a Roman Catholic parish church and national shrine in Ely, closely associated with Saint Etheldreda. Her relics are preserved here.

Saint Etheldreda was an Anglo-Saxon queen and abbess who died on 23 June 679. She later became one of the most popular medieval saints in England and is regarded as one of the country’s significant native English saints.

Prickwillow Museum

Four miles east of Ely, Prickwillow Museum occupies an old pumping station and focuses on the technology behind the transformation of the Fens. Its major collection of large diesel pumping engines shows how drainage systems and pumping stations helped manage the landscape.

The engines have been restored to working order, bringing the machinery behind the Fen drainage network to life. The museum was formerly known as the Prickwillow Drainage Engine Museum, and its story is closely tied to the changing face of the Fens.

Churches around Ely

Several other churches add to the area’s religious and architectural history. In Chettisham, the Church of St Michael and All Angels is a local parish landmark. The Church of the Holy Cross is another historic place of worship in East Cambridgeshire.

In the city centre, the Countess Free Church and New Connexions Free Church Ely form part of Ely’s community life. The surrounding villages also include St Peter’s Church, Prickwillow, built between 1866 and 1868, and the former St Etheldreda’s Church in Queen Adelaide.

Explore Ely with a self-guided walking tour

For an Ely self-guided walking tour, Neywo’s walk “Ely: the Ship of the Fens” covers 1.78 km in about 80 minutes and includes 8 narrated stops. The route visits Church of St Peter in Ely, Ely Castle, Ely Cathedral, the Stained Glass Museum, Parish Church of St Mary, Oliver Cromwell’s House, St Etheldreda’s Church, Ely, and Ely Museum.

Download Neywo to explore Ely at your own pace. The app tells the story of each place as you reach it, with no group and no schedule. It includes 1 walking tour in Ely, with 8 narrated stops on the route, while the city guide covers 15 narrated places in total. After Ely, you can continue exploring other English destinations, including Eastbourne and Farnham.