Ely is the nearest cathedral city to Cambridge. Cambridge does not have its own cathedral and is within the Diocese of Ely. The diocese covers 1507 square miles/3900 square kilometres and holds 610,000 people (1995) and 341 churches; it includes the county of Cambridgeshire (except for three parishes in the south which are in the diocese of Chelmsford) the western part of Norfolk, a few parishes in Peterborough and Essex and one in Bedfordshire.
Ely has been informally accounted a city by virtue of being the seat of a diocese, its status was confirmed by Royal Charter in 1974; at that time the parish council of the single civil parish that makes up Ely was formed during a reorganisation of local government. With a population of 15,102 in 2001,
Ely is the third smallest city in England (after Wells (Somerset) and the City of London) and the sixth smallest in the United Kingdom (with St David's, Bangor, and Armagh also smaller). The city is very attractive, retaining many historic buildings with its winding shopping throughfares. There is a market on Thursday and Saturday each week. Ely is on the River Great Ouse and was a significant port until the 18th century when the Fens were drained and Ely was not an "island" anymore. The river is a popular boating area with a large marina.
The University of Cambridge rowing team has a boathouse on the bank of the river and train here for the annual Boat Race against Oxford University. The 1944 Boat Race was raced on the River Great Ouse near Ely, the only time it has not been held on the River Thames. The race was won by Oxford despite Cambridge being ahead early in the contest. Source : www.wikipedia.org.uk
Attractions
Ely Cathedral : http://www.ElyCathedral.co.uk
Oliver Cromwell's House : www.ely.org.uk
Other Popular Attractions in Cambridgeshire