Taking a look at the city of Ely – Cambridgeshire, England quickly reveals a municipality that’s famous for a couple of things, including its location near Cambridge, which hosts the University of Cambridge. Ely itself has a population of somewhere around 15,000 people, and it’s the third-smallest of such municipalities in England.
As far as its history, the city can trace its beginnings back to the sixth century. It was then that it was founded by a Catholic religious order, which erected an abbey in the area. It is also this region that also stood strongest against Norman rule, holding out until the year 1071. The town’s name probably comes from a low-lying island that once existed, around which the waters were full of eels.
Oliver Cromwell, who served as Lord Protector of England and who helped to bring about the English republican Commonwealth system still seen in the remnants of its former Empire, once served as a local tax collector for the town for several years. His home, which dates to the 15th century, is still used to this day, serving as a museum and tourist information office.
The town also plays host to the famous Ely Cathedral. Building on it first started in 1083, at the direction of William I. It continued to be built for years, with some sections erected as late as the early 14th century. The cathedral itself is considered to be one of the most impressive structures to emerge from the medieval era.
In the 16th century, Ely’s local charity was granted a royal charter by King Charles I. The original charter, in addition to certain documents written and signed by Oliver Cromwell, are on display at the Ely Museum (the former home of Cromwell). Cromwell himself served as a governor of this charity and it is still in operation to this day.
Modern Ely still can boast of many buildings from those days as well as the fact that much of its original layout remains intact. This is evidenced in the way many of the city’s streets wind and meander their way through Ely. In addition, a large market is held twice-weekly, and a nearby river serves as a popular location for water recreation-type activities, including boating.
Ely sits within the county of Cambridgeshire, which is both non-metropolitan and ceremonial in class. As well as being known for the county in which the University of Cambridge resides, Cambridgeshire is also host to a great many businesses specializing in high technology applications. This county of nearly 780,000 people can also claim human presence since at least the Neolithic era.
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