Ely’s Greatest Heroes, Past and Present

Ely’s Greatest Heroes, Past and Present

The ancient city of Ely is the biggest island in what were once the wetland Cambridgeshire Fens – they have since been drained. Made famous by its impressive cathedral, Ely has stood as both a symbol of religious importance and political resistance through the centuries. With this in mind, it perhaps comes as no surprise that the city has a number of famous son and daughters to its name. Here are just some of them, historical and contemporary.

Hereward the Wake

For our first hero we must go all the way back to 1066, a time when Ely was known as the Isle of Eels, because for centuries is was surrounded by wetland ad mashes. In the lead-up to 1066, Hereward the Wake was the isle’s leader, who defended the settlement from the marauding William the Conqueror, using the flooded fens as a means of defense. However, with the isle surrounded and running short of supplies, Hereward the Wake was betrayed by the city’s monks, who funnelled information to the leader of the Norman hordes; he in turn used it to ransack the city.

Littleport Fire Service

They may not have blue blood running in their veins or have defended Ely from William the Conqueror, but the men and women who man Littleport’s fire station are modern day heroes, who even find time in their busy firefighting schedules to run charity bingo nights, so popular that they raise thousands of pounds. For those who missed the bingo night just before Christmas, or those who didn’t and want more number calling action anyway, there’s a nice selection of bingo bonuses offered up online.

Oliver Cromwell

Another famous hero of Ely’s past is Oliver Cromwell, or as he’s otherwise known, the Lord Protector. For a long time, he was an MP for Cambridgeshire, but then became even more politically active when the civil war of 1648 flared, fought by the Parliamentarians and the Royalists, with Cromwell supporting the former. In 1649 the Parliamentarians won the war, dethroned the king, and Cromwell became Lord Protector, shunning the idea of being crowned a king himself. Unfortunately, Cromwell’s legacy didn’t last as long as he would have liked, with his buried remains being tried for treason in 1661. In Ely, Cromwell was best known for falling out with the city’s monks (see a pattern developing here?), leading him to close the cathedral for ten whole years, choosing to use it as a stable for his cavalry rather than a place of worship.

Guy Pearce

That’s right, Guy Pearce the star of L.A. Confidential, The Road and The King’s Speech was born in Ely. He didn’t stay for long, emigrating to Australia with his family at the age of three, where he got his first break in the acting game on the set of Australian soap, Neighbours. He’s now married to Carice van Houten, who recently played the beautiful Red Woman in the hit series Game of Thrones. Life has been kind to Pearce since he left Ely, but it was this small city in Cambridgeshire that gave him the springboard to stardom.

Everyday Heroes

Away from the glitz and glamour of the spotlight are Ely’s modern day community heroes, many of whom are recognised at the annual Ely Hero Awards. In 2019 awards were doled out in categories including everything from “Neighbour of the Year” to “Best Teacher” to “Community Champion”. These awards remind us all that being a hero often starts at home.

Olivia Newton-John

Strictly speaking Olivia Newton-John isn’t from Ely, but she was born and raised in Cambridgeshire, which is good enough for us. The four-time Grammy award winner was immortalised in the hit musical Grease, where she performed alongside John Travolta’s quiff, famously proclaiming “You’re the One That I Want”. Olivia is the ultimate example of what hard work and dedication to your craft can bring, no matter if you’re from the Cambridgeshire Fens or the Hollywood Hills. As far as we know, she has not fallen out with the Ely monks.