Ely Castle

Ely Castle stands on a grassy mound called Cherry Hill in the cathedral city of Ely, Cambridgeshire. The mound is the only visible trace of a once-formidable motte-and-bailey fortress. William the Conqueror built it in 1070 to crush Hereward the Wake’s resistance on the Isle of Ely. After the rebellion ended the mound was left unused. Bishop Nigel refortified it in 1140 during the Anarchy, but King Stephen soon took control. The castle changed hands several times. Geoffrey de Mandeville commanded it in 1143. Falkes de Breauté destroyed it in 1216. Half a century later, during the Second Barons’ War, Ely’s fortifications fell again in 1268. Bishop Nigel’s castle was probably demolished soon after. All that survives today is the grassy mound. Excavations in 2002 uncovered Norman clay jugs, bowls, farming tools and bronze hunting gear. The dig also found clay used to surface the motte. Ely Museum now displays these finds alongside other local discoveries. Visitors can walk the mound and imagine the castle that once stood there, while the museum offers a closer look at the objects left behind.