In 1635 Oliver Cromwell was willed the local tax collector position and lived in the town for a few years. His home was the Tourist Information Office and a museum. The museum is set up with rooms to show what the home looked like when Cromwell lived there in the 16th century. He was also one of the Thomas Parson's Charity Governors which was given charter by Charles I. A copy of the authentic charter and minutes from meetings that Cromwell wrote himself are at the Ely museum. The non-profit organization still give housing grants to those locals who qualify.
Ely is still full of many historical dwellings and great shopping areas. On Thursday and Saturday a market is held. Ely lies on the River Great Ouse which was an important port but in the 18th century Ely was no longer an island after the Fens were drained. The river is still a well visited place for boating and has a big marina. The rowing team from the University of Cambridge uses a boathouse on the river's bank. They do their training there for their yearly race with the University of Oxford. It has only actually been held on the river once in 1944 and Oxford won. It usually takes place on the River Thames.
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Other accommodation close to Ely:
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