Explore Ely and the fabulous Fens
One of Britain’s smallest cities, but more like a market town with a colossal cathedral the size of Durham’s, Ely grew up around its sacred showpiece and the ecclesiastical buildings are woven into its gentle pace of life.
Just 33 feet (10m) above sea level, Ely was once on an island (the Isle of Eels) in the midst of watery marshes and could only be reached by boat or causeway. This inaccessible landscape was (and is) known as the Fens – set apart from the rest of England until the 17th century when the Fenland was drained to create rich agricultural land. Just 1% of Cambridgeshire’s precious “true” fenland exists today, some of which can be explored near Ely at Sedge Fen, in the heart of Wicken Fen Nature Reserve.
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Ely has a pretty riverside, independent shops and cafés, historic pubs and a green focus: summer festivals include the Mad Hatters Eco Festival and the Ely Cathedral Green Fair. The tourist office coordinates walking tours of the city centre, the riverside and city pubs (pre-booking is recommended; summer tours are usually 2pm on Saturday and Sunday).
Fancy it? We've created a weekend itinerary to explore Ely and the Fens in all their glory.
Friday
Check in: to Peacocks Fine B&B. It has two traditional suites in the upstairs of its Georgian riverside house, where you’ll find comfortable sofas, antiques, books on the shelves and a delicious breakfast.
Join choral Evensong: at Ely Cathedral. Starting at 5.30pm, the choral music (in the Lady Chapel on Fridays) is a beautiful introduction to the cathedral and to Ely.
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Have a drink: at The Drayman’s Son. Run by Three Blind Mice Brewery, this larger-than-usual micropub on Fore Hill is a delight. The walls are lined with retro signs and posters and there’s a detailed “beer board” with the cask or keg options available that day (it also serves cider and has a decent wine list).
Eat dinner: at Sushi & Salad. A cosy, casual addition to the dining scene in Ely, you’re spoiled for choice with sushi, sashimi and nigiri, as well as curry and noodle dishes. Japanese white and red wine is on the menu, as well as sake, by the glass or bottle.
Sushi and Salad Ely/Facebook
Saturday
Go shopping: at Ely Market and Ely High Street. The marketplace in central Ely hosts a craft, food and vintage market each Saturday, as well as a farmers' market on the second and fourth Saturday of each month. The independent shops around the marketplace and High Street are well worth browsing, too (make a beeline for Topping and Company Booksellers, Ely Fudge Company and Little Roos).
Visit the Ship of the Fens: Ely Cathedral is known by this nickname as it seems to float above the surrounding flat landscape. With origins in AD 673, when the daughter of a Saxon King built her monastery here, the majestic scale of the cathedral you see today is thanks to the Normans. Tours of the Octagon Tower take you up to the roof, with its far reaching views just begging to be snapped.
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Grab lunch: at Edis of Ely or Truly Scrumptious. Edis of Ely butchers are a Cambridgeshire institution for their flaky sausage rolls, but veggies and vegans will want to try Truly Scrumptious, a vegan and GF café in a historic Grade II-listed building.
READ MORE: The UK's prettiest small towns and villages
Discover Ely’s heritage: at Ely Museum. Having recently reopened after a £2.2 million refurbishment, the museum showcases an array of exciting interactive exhibitions detailing the city's past. It’s built into the old gaol, which is fascinating in itself, and is family-friendly.
Enjoy the riverside: by joining a short boat cruise with Liberty Belle Cruises (temporarily suspended). There are Jubilee Gardens to explore too, before afternoon tea at Peacocks Tearoom. The wisteria fronted tearoom has tables indoors and out, while the charming mismatched crockery is an Instagrammer's dream. Fussy with your tea? There's a variety from every continent to choose from (last orders 4.30pm).
Dine out: at The White Pheasant. Serving local British produce cooked beautifully, The White Pheasant is a deli by day and restaurant by night. In the evening, you’ll choose from the likes of roasted cauliflower with madras purée and slow-cooked beef brisket with sweet potato toasted cornbread. The tasting menu is £55.
Sunday
Go back in time: at Oliver Cromwell’s House. There’s no need to book, you can just turn up at the half-timbered house, which also serves as Ely’s tourist information centre. Follow a self-guided tour with a headset and learn a bit about Cromwell and the decade that he lived here with his family.
Oliver Cromwell's House/Facebook
Get up close to nature: at Wicken Fen Nature Reserve. Ten miles from Ely, the undrained, uncultivated fenland of Wicken Fen was used by villagers for peat digging and sedge harvesting up until the 1890s and was only saved because banker Charles Rothschild stepped in to buy two acres of the land and donate it to the National Trust.
There are cycle routes, longer walks and a basic campsite in the wider reserve – the Wicken Fen Vision is to extend the protected land as far as Cambridge. At the heart of it all is Sedge Fen, with its boardwalk, woodland walk, narrow waterways, restored wind pump and crumbling bird hides.
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On a stroll here, you’ll spot marsh harriers and kestrels shivering overhead, as well as rare orchids hiding in the long grass and butterflies flitting between them. You might even spot the konik ponies grazing the land. The calls of warblers and cuckoos fill the air and the land feels untouched by humankind – if you want to explore a little more, you can take an electric boat trip on Wicken Lode (book in advance). There’s a café at the entrance to Sedge Fen to refuel.
READ MORE: A weekend in Cambridge
Getting there
You can arrive by train from London King's Cross, Bristol Parkway, Norwich, Cambridge, the Midlands and Stansted Airport, and from Ely it’s possible to visit Wicken Fen by bicycle (40-minutes; bike hire is available).
Lead image: Peter Moulton/Shutterstock
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