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Market Place, Ely circa 1906

Market Place, Ely

History of the Market Place, Ely

The Victorian Diamond Jubilee fountain on the left was moved in 1939. The Public Room was demolished in 1965.

Ely Market, 1832

Market Place, Ely OS 1901

Ely Market Place circa 1880s

The photo shows the Sessions House which was to be soon replaced by the new Public Room. In the Sessions house the Ely and Littleport rioters were tried in 1816. From 1816-1856 the upper floor was the Girls’ Charity School.

Ely Market Place, Coronation of Edward VII, 1902

On the left of the photo is The White Hart Hotel.

Market Place, Ely c.1905

The Corn Exchange had been built in 1847 and the Public Room was built between 1880 and 1890. In 1910 a maple floor was put in for roller skating. From the 1920s to 1963 it was a cinema. The Corn Exchange and the Public Room were both demolished in 1964.

Ely Market Place circa 1908

Right foreground is the house of George Martin Hall, clerk and coroner. In the 1930s the house was demolished and was only redeveloped in 1965 when a supermarket was built.

Hospital Sunday Ely 1913 (MoC350/75)

Unveiling of War Memorial Ely 1922 (MoC1118.88)

Market Place, Ely, 1922. Unveiling of War Shrine.

Market Place, Ely

Market Place, Ely

Market Day, Ely

War Memorial Ely 2025

War Memorial Ely 2025

Dear Visitor,

Thank you for exploring historical Cambridgeshire! We hope you enjoy your visit and, if you do,  would consider making a donation today.

Capturing Cambridge makes accessible thousands of photos and memories of Cambridge and its surrounding villages and towns. It is run by the Museum of Cambridge which, though 90 years old, is one of the most poorly publicly funded local history museums in the UK. It receives no core funding from local or central government nor from the University of Cambridge.

As a result, we are facing a crisis; we have no financial cushion – unlike many other museums in Cambridge – and are facing the need to drastically cut back our operations which could affect our ability to continue to run and develop this groundbreaking local history website.

If Capturing Cambridge matters to you, then the survival of the Museum of the Cambridge should matter as well. If you won’t support the preservation of your heritage, no-one else will! Your support is critical.

If you love Capturing Cambridge, and you are able to, we’d appreciate your support.

Every donation makes a world of difference.

Thank you,
Roger Lilley, Chair of Trustees
Museum of Cambridge