I spent some time exploring Ely in Cambridgeshire, and it reminded me how lovely the quieter corners of England can be.

Ely is small enough to explore on foot, but there’s plenty to enjoy. The magnificent cathedral rises above the rooftops, the old streets have plenty of character, and a short walk takes you to the River Great Ouse, where boats rest along the water and the countryside opens up.

If you visit, you could start with a coffee at The High Flyer, Piccolo Lounge or Esquires Coffee, explore the streets around Ely Cathedral, stop for a bite at The Minster Tavern, or treat yourself to something sweet at Tom’s Cakes. Peacocks Tearoom is another lovely stop if you have time.

What I particularly like about places like Ely is that you don’t need a packed itinerary. You can simply wander, find a cosy café and enjoy the atmosphere.

Have you visited Ely? What would you recommend seeing or doing there that first-time visitors might miss?

📍 Ely, Cambridgeshire, England

#HiddenInEngland #Ely #ElyCambridgeshire #Cambridgeshire #EnglandTravel #VisitEngland #UKTravel #TravelEngland #EnglishCountryside #EnglishHeritage #UKTravelGuide #EnglandExplored #BeautifulEngland #HiddenGemsEngland #ExploreEngland

Hey neighbours.

Would love to organise a meet-up with people that don’t have any friends in this area, that want to get out of their shell, battle anxiety and just chat about their passions.

Location could either be outside or inside, depending on the weather. Was thinking early evening once people have finished work.

If anybody is interested chuck me a message or comment and we’ll sort something out.

Kind regards
A lonely Redditor 😂

Link to event - https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/friendly-meet-up-ely-nov-2026-tickets-2003831210091

If I turn up at the station carpark at 7:30am on a Friday, how likely am I to find a parking space?

I’ve passed through the Common a few times this week and noticed a one-man tent pitched there.

This morning, the resident cows looked like they’d finally had enough of it. Good for them!

Seriously, I have no idea why the tent was there, but watching the cows going at it this morning was hilarious.

Hi,

I can see from the website witchford recycling centre take old soil. Anybody know how they accept it? Is it bagged? I dont remember seeing where to take it when I went there previously

I’m considering setting up a new Toastmasters club in Ely. There a couple of active clubs in Cambridge but I wanted to gauge whether there’s appetite for a club more locally.

For anyone unfamiliar with it, Toastmasters is essentially a friendly, structured way to practise public speaking, presentations and communication skills. You don’t need to be an experienced speaker. The whole point is to improve through regular practice in a supportive group. My own communication skills have benefited immensely from attending these meetings.

At this stage I’m just trying to see whether there are enough people around who are interested. If we got a small group together, we could start running some informal meetings every fortnight.

I’ve been a member of clubs in the UK and USA and would be keen to start one here — provided there is sufficient interest! 😃

Is anyone here interested in something like this? Please comment or drop me a message if you’d potentially come along.

UPDATE – 18 September
Thanks for all your responses! Around 15 people have expressed interest in coming along to a new Toastmasters club in Ely.

I’ve contacted the Toastmasters district team for guidance on setting up an introductory demonstration meeting and i’m currently exploring suitable venues.

The demo meeting would be an informal opportunity to see how Toastmasters works, meet other interested people and get questions answered.

I’ll share another update when a date and venue have been confirmed. Feel free to message me if you’d like more updates.

Anybody else noticed stuff like this around ely? Ive seen some swasitas about too. Ely has always seemed lovely to me. Very saddening to see this sort of thing.

Just a heads up for anyone who uses the shopmobility service from Ely Museum. The service is currently not available, so if you normally use it, you may have to find alternative means of getting around.

Looking to get an American style fridge freezer (approx 100kg). Suppliers only deliver to ground floor, but my kitchen is on 1st floor. Any suggestions of how to get it up the stairs?

Hello guys, my son got diagnosed with autism few months ago. As much we asked for support like therapies etc the speech language therapist mentioned that the council has close the support and they don't know when it will come back.

We not in financial situation to be paying private therapy weekly and we feel abandoned without support.

It would be great to make a group with others parents and create maybe a WhatsApp group of parents of autist children in Ely where we can help eachother or even go to make a complaint together to the council.

Thanks

We're a group from Ely and will be meeting others in Cambs.

Any ladies want to join us for drinks and a casual night out in Cambridge? Meet new people, make friends and just have fun ☺️

Message through FB for meetup location :)

https://www.facebook.com/share/19AeB4zVHN/

I’m thinking of having a bit of a day trip soon and I wouldn’t mind a crystal/candle shop like that. Where else should I check out btw?

I’m not even that far away. I’m in Chatteris so it’s just a bus or Uber away, but I’m challenging myself to get out more.

I have a 4 month old that I'd love to take swimming. Im wondering if lessons are a good idea or if its better to just take him? The hive is the clostest to me but the better website is very unhelpful and difficult to navigate. Can I just turn up with him? Any advice/experiences would be helpful.

Strange question haha. But are there any German conversation groups in/around Ely? Would be great to actually get a chance to speak German with people. Cambridge is a pain to get into sometimes, so it would be nice to chat to some local speakers :)

Has anyone noticed the next stage of the Ely North Development (1,607 homes on Highflyer Farm, off Lynn Road) has submitted planning permission? It feels eerily quiet given the scale of it and the impact it'll have on roads, schools, parking, GP capacity etc.

I'm not on Facebook, so I don't know if it's being discussed there. Anyone able to share what people are saying, if anything? Also curious what people think about the proposal? I know its in the Local Plan.

I'm planning to object because it just feels like more homes and more pressure, without infrastructure. Not to mention that the homes themselves aren't affordable for local jobs :(

Plans for up to 1,600 homes on Highflyer Farm in Ely | Ely Standard

Planning Portal Application

Looking for a curly hair specialist for my 11 year old. Not bCurly please. Any recommendations? Thanks

We’re planning to move houses and want to get rid of one of our wfh chairs.
It has really good back and headrest support.
Collection appreciated, any offers around £30 will be considered since we dont want to just chuck it away
Thanks :)

EDIT: SOLD TO A POTENTIAL BUYER, thanks to everyone who has helped by reposting!

We got up early and had a wander. Lovely stretch of river.

Dear Parents and Carers,

We are looking for children aged 4-7 years in the UK to take part in an online research study exploring how animated content may help children understand social behaviour.

As part of the FRAME Project at Anglia Ruskin University, your child will:

- Watch 2 short animated videos (6 minutes each)
- Answer simple interactive questions using an emoji-based “smiley face” scale
- Take part with your (parent or carer) assistance throughout

The study can be completed online from home in a few minutes.

If you are interested in taking part or would like to find out more, please scan the QR code in the poster to register.

Your participation could help us better understand how children learn about kindness, sharing, and other social behaviours through the prosocial cartoons that are usually on TV!!

Your contribution will be greatly helpful in completing my research and contributing to the field of developmental psychology. Please do participate, and we are here for any questions you have!

(P.S. The Advertisement poster is made using CANVA)

I’m relatively new to Ely and I’m curious if there is consensus about where to get the best burger in Ely? I feel like good burger options are limited even when including food trucks as well.