Latest: News: Feedback: Search ECOLN: Features: Events: Local history: Photo index: Info sources: Ads: About ECOLN

Local History

The East Cambridgeshire District includes the City of Ely, the large parishes of Soham, Littleport and Burwell together with a large number of villages and hamlets. The District, with a population of over 60,000, covers 256 square miles. In the north it extends beyond Littleport to the Norfolk border; in the west it reaches New and Old Bedford Rivers; in the south it extends to within a few miles of Cambridge and in the east it has a long border with Suffolk. It encircles the town of Newmarket, which is part of that neighbouring country.

Cambridge - A Potted History from Anglia Polytechnic University.
Cambridge through the centuries.
University of Cambridge Information Resources. Look up colleges and departments for historical information.
Ely and associated links.
Littleport
Burwell Castle
Reach and the ancient Devil's Dyke earthwork
Maps of the Ely area from 1645
The Prickwillow Drainage Engine Museum
Soham and associated links.
Wicken Fen
East Cambridgeshire, Cambridge and Newmarket area map (1992) (gif 184314 bytes)
Other sites known to have (or lead to) pages with local history information of East Cambridgeshire, Cambridge or Newmarket area.

ELY

Page index

Ely, the historic City of the Fens, owes its existence to the religious community that was set up in the 7th century. St. Etheldreda, a daughter of the King of the East Angles, was married to Tonbert, chieftain of the Southern Gywre, and was given the Isle of Ely either by way of dowry from her husband or in her own right as a descendant of the Royal House. Eventually Etheldreda became a nun at the convent of Coldingham and in the year 673 she retired to the Isle of Ely where she founded an abbey of her own for both monks and nuns.

As the site of her new foundation Etheldreda chose the deserted hill top where now lie the Cathedral and the City. In the year 870, Ely, with the majority of the fenland abbeys, was sacked and destroyed by the Danes, and it did not fully recover from this disaster until a hundred years later when St. Ethelwold of Winchester was mcommissioned by King Edgar to rebuild the remains of St. Etheldreda's foundation and re-establish the community as an abbey for monks of the Benedictine order. In 1109 the bishopric of Ely was created by Henry I and thereafter the abbey became a priory. Much of the wealth of the priory was expended on the building and adomment of its church, the great Cathedral which, housing the splendid shrines of St. Etheldreda and her sister St. Sexburga and St. Withburga, was a centre of pilgrimage throughout the Middle Ages.

This great cathedral is, of course, the historic treasure of the City and its graceful octagonal tower is a landmark far out across the Fens. Standing almost in the shadow of Ely Cathedral is Oliver Cromwell's House. This was his home for some years from 1636. Several rooms have been refurbished in Cromwellian style to show features of the house which Cromwell would have known in his time. An audio-visual presentation gives visitors an insight into the domestic, military and political aspects of his life. The City has many other features of interest for the tourist including the former Bishop's Palace (15th- 16th century); the 14th century Ely Porta, once the main gateway to the priory; the Prior's House and the Monks'Granary (14th- 15th century); the 14th century Prior Crauden's Chapel; -1 6th century Steeple Gate; St. Mary's parish church, mostly of the 12th century; several later-but still interesting-churches; 14th century Sacrist's Gate and Goldsmith's Tower; the 14th century Walsingham House with its painted chamber, together with many other monastic buildings (mostly 14th century). Many of the old buildings are occupied by the King's School. The city has an attractive park, a pleasant riverside walk with angling and short-stay mooring facilities and, off Springhead Lane, an extensive nature trail. Sports facilities are good and recreational amenities include The Maltings, a building converted into a delightful public hall and conference centre; an indoor swimming pool and a sports centre off Newnham Street car park; a golf course (18 holes); indoor and outdoor bowls, and squash at the Rugby Club. The Ely Museum, situated in the High Street, is an attractive local history museum which tells the story of a fenland city and its people.

There is also a Stained Glass Museum in the north triforium of Ely Cathedral - open from March to October, housing glass from the 14th century onwards. A visit to the museum provides an opportunity to learn something of an ancient craft.

Ely - associated links

Page index

English Anarchy & Geoffrey de Mandeville - Scourge of the Fens
Here is some information about Ely Cathedral.
The history of the Diocese of Ely - at the Anglican Churches web site.
Ely Cathedral Guide - at the Anglican Churches web site.
The City of Ely from Anglia Polytechnic University's web server.

LITTLEPORT

Page index

Between Ely and Kings Lynn (A. 10) is Littleport, close to the Great Ouse and centre of a very large parish that covers close on twelve square miles. One of the few rail-linked places in the district, Littleport is served by trains to both Ely and Kings Lynn.

In recent years Littleport has grown as a residential area and it has pleasant housing estates as well as a bright shopping centre, a branch library and several places of worship that include the parish church in the centre of Littleport. The west tower here is a tall and dominant feature of the Perpendicular period but much of the rest of the building was reconstructed in 1857 to the designs of Teulon. Strangely perhaps, a right of way used to exist through the church tower, a route used in the days before the fens were drained and when other routes were made impassable by floods.

Prickwillow Drainage Engine Museum site.

SOHAM

Page index

After Ely, this is the largest parish in the district and very much the centre of the eastern side of the area. It is on the Newmarket to Ely road (A142) and has a busy shopping centre, several well laid-out housing estates, a village college and recreational amenities that include an indoor sports centre. Soham is of great age and interest for in Saxon times it possessed a cathedral nearly half a century before that of Ely. The Danes, however, destroyed it in 870 and it was never rebuilt. Soham has, however, a splendid and spacious parish church, part 12th century but mostly Perpendicular with magnificent carved woodwork; fragments of 15th century stained glass and an early wall painting. Other old buildings at Soham include the elegant Fountain Hotel and many 18th century houses - but-of four former windmills the only one now working is the Downfield Mill. It was originally built in 1726 as a Smock Mill but was destroyed by gales and rebuilt as an eight-sided tower mill. The mill produces a range of flours, and bran is also available. There are also a few remains of an Anglo-Saxon graveyard of the pagan period near the town.

Soham - associated links

Page index

The Shade Mill
Downfield Mill
Here is an extract from Anthony Day's book 'But For Such Men As These' which describes a horrific incident which took place in Soham during World War II.

Navigator: Latest: News: Feedback: Search ECOLN: Features: Events: Local history: Photo index: Info sources: Ads: About ECOLN

Click here to go back to the ECOLN home page.

Send your comments (any you don't mind having published) to ecoln_editor

If you have something you would like to say but don't want to be quoted in this Web page or anywhere else by me, then use the 'Kane' email address.

Please email either of these boxes if there is anything that you would like to see in ECOLN or anything that you would like to contribute. ECOLN wants to put as many interesting html www links in that it can get hold of - so please tell ECOLN about your web site.