Really? No, Ely! (Ely in general)

Member Name: emmaglet

Product:	Ely in general
Date:	16/02/09 (70 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Variety of things to do

Disadvantages: Not as good as larger cities

Ely (pronounced like "really" - don't call it Eli) is a cathedral city in Cambridgeshire. It is just 14 miles from Cambridge, so is a popular tourist attraction for anyone coming to the Cambridgeshire area. It has a population of approximately 20,000, making it a small city.

Transport:
If you were to visit Ely, your first concern would be how to get to Ely. Ely is easy to reach on train from London (direct train) and from the North or Midlands by changing at Peterborough. The train station is located out of the city centre and would take around 20 minutes to walk from. There are no buses stopping close to the station going into the town centre, apart from the Park and Ride (which I will mention in a moment). Ely can also be reached from some major roads, such as the A1 and the A14; leading onto the A10 and into Ely. If you were to drive into Ely you would have a few choices regarding parking. You would probably consider using the Park and Ride first - don't. Councillors have invested over £1million into a Park and Ride located near the train station. Whilst this was an excellent idea in theory, in practice it hasn't worked. This is probably due to the fact that you have to pay to use this Park and Ride, when parking in the city centre is free, or using another Park and Ride service, from the secondary school, is also free. Ely is also accessible on bus, often changing at Cambridge and then onward to Ely.

What is there to do:
Chances are that no matter what you are interested in, you will find something to do in Ely. Do you like history and cream teas? Then visit the museum, Oliver Cromwell's House, The Cathedral and then stop by The Almonry Restaurant located in the Cathedral grounds for a light lunch or a cream tea. If art is more your thing then take advantage of the stained glass museum located in the Cathedral and The Babylon gallery which has just reopened (Valentine's day, 2009). If you enjoy picturesque river scenes then you can head down to The Ouse, with a beautiful park area and dine at The Maltings, located just on the riverside. Or if, like me, shopping is more your thing, then take advantage of the high street stores, as well as independent retailers you will find in the city centre. The high street stores (such as New Look) are not as big as in larger cities, but with Cambridge just 14 miles away, getting to a larger city is no problem.

Eating in Ely:
Much like the choice of things to do in Ely, choosing where to eat in Ely is much the same. You can take your pick from fast food such as fish and chips (award winning fish & chips located in the marketplace), pub meals right the way up to (almost) gourmet dining. There is something to suit everyone's tastes as well as everyone's budgets!

Market:
Ely market takes place on a Thursday and a Saturday. Every second Saturday there is the farmer's market, focusing more on local farmers produce. There can be as many as 60 stalls on the market, making it a great shopping treat! You can pick up anything from fruit and vegetables to pine furniture, with everything in between. Some of the stalls worth mentioning include a freshly ground coffee stall, tools stall, fish van, cheap food stall (generally items that are nearing their sell-by date, or excess stock), card stalls, home wares and so much more. The market starts at 8am and finishes at 4pm, although I've rarely seen stalls stay open until 4pm.

In conclusion, visiting Ely would make a fantastic day out, or even a weekend away, but for any longer would probably result in you being very bored. There are a lot of activities you can choose from, but they aren't in the same league as larger cities.

Summary: Ely, The Fens