Tourist Information
Ely Tourist Information Centre: Oliver
Cromwell House, 29 St Mary's Street, tel
01353 662062
MARCH offers a great deal to
visitors, especially those trav-
elling along the River Nene
(old course) which is most
attractive and complements
the outstanding riverside park
adjacent to the town centre.
Boats moor right in the
town centre and boat people
can visit numerous shops a
few minutes from the water-
front. There are two marinas.
St Wendreda's Church has
a beautiful late 15th century
double-hammerbeam angel
roof, said by experts to be the
finest in the land, There are
120 half-size angel figures
and much more. The roof is
mentioned by Dorothy Sayers
in her novel The Nine Tailors.
Situated off the B1099 on
the outskirts of March is
Dunhams Wood, a four-acre
woodland oasis in the middle
of the flat Fens. As well as an
enormous variety of trees,
there are guided walks, sculp-
tures and a miniature railway.
THE magnificent outline of Ely's
cathedral dominates the view, from
whatever angle you approach it.
The towering presence of the city's cathedral
has loomed large on the Fenland skyline down
the centuries. It is a masterpiece of architecture
set within the walls of a Benedictine Monastery,
and a walk around the college reveals that Ely
has the largest collection of domestic architec-
ture in England.
There is plenty to discover as you walk among
the monastery buildings. To see stained glass
ancient and modern at close quarters, the visitor
should climb to the cathedral's north triforium
gallery, which houses the well-displayed collec-
tion of the Stained Glass Museum. A Brass
Rubbing Centre is open at the cathedral in the
summer.
CROMWELL
Ely was the home of Oliver Cromwell, the vic-
tor in the English Civil War, and his half-timbered
house next to the parish church of St Mary's is
open to the public and also houses the Tourist
Information Centre.
A walk through the house offers a range of
experiences, with imaginative recreations of the
old kitchen and panelled parlour, complete with
A NARROWBOAT holiday in the Fens gives
you the opportunity to explore a wide area
including Cambridge, Ely, Peterborough and
Downham Market.
Fox Narrowboats fleet of narrowboats,
based at March, are individually designed and
sized to accommodate between two and eight
people. Full training and show round, taking
around an hour, is given by one of Fox's RYA
qualified instructors before you begin your
holiday.
Route suggestions mean you can visit
places like Cambridge (it's an easier way to
get in the city centre than driving!), Ely with its
magnificent cathedral, Peterborough and
Ferry Meadows Country Park, or head off in
the opposite direction across the Fens to
Downham Market in Norfolk.
Have some great holiday adventures, all at
a very relaxing pace.
Even on a short break, you can cruise to
Ely, an 18-hour return trip.
life-size figures of Mr and Mrs Cromwell.
Ely makes a handy base for a stay, as there
are top-class rail links. Not only is it on a direct
line to London, but also has good east-west
connections to Norwich in one direction and to
Peterborough (and the main London-Edinburgh
line) in the other.
The River Great Ouse flows through the city
and has free 48-hour moorings. Along its banks
you will find pubs and restaurants serving
meals.
Shopping is easy and convenient in Ely, with
ample free parking and a good mix of speciality
and more well-known shops. Every Thursday
there is a thriving general market, the origins of
which date back to monastic times, and on a
Saturday the market specialises in quality crafts
and antiques.
FEN DRAINAGE
The draining of the Fens has been one of the
major feats of engineering in the area, and the
story of attempts through the centuries to
reclaim the land is told at two locations,
Stretham and Prickwillow. Windmills, usually
associated with the grinding of corn, were also
used for the drainage of the area.
East Cambridgeshire has a number of beauti-
fully restored wind and watermills, many still in
full working order, including the windpump at
Wicken Fen.
Wicken Fen is one of the few remaining rem-
nants of the Great Fens. Here there are over 700
acres of wetland reserve, rich in both plant and
insect life, with a wide variety of habitats for
birds and butterflies.
The peaceful river scene at Ely.
Adventures at a
very gentle pace
St Wendreda's Church at March from the air.
Boats
moor in
centre
Mighty
outline
looms
large

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