City of Ely | |
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![]() West façade of Ely Cathedral from Palace Green, the former village green | |
Area | 23 sq mi (60 km2) [1] |
Population | 15,102 (2001 Census) |
• Density | 657/sq mi (254/km2) |
OS grid reference | TL5379 |
Civil parish |
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District | |
Shire county | |
Region | |
Country | England |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Post town | ELY |
Postcode district | CB6, CB7 |
Dialling code | 01353 |
Police | Cambridgeshire |
Fire | Cambridgeshire |
Ambulance | East of England |
UK Parliament | |
Website | East Cambridgeshire District Council |
Ely (pronunciation (help·info); IPA /'iːli/, rhyming with "freely") is a cathedral city in the East Cambridgeshire district of Cambridgeshire in the east of England and 23 km (14.3 mi) north north-east of Cambridge.
Ely has been called a city for a long time because it has a cathedral. However, the Royal Charter making it a city was only issued in 1974. Ely's population was 15,102 in 2001. This means Ely is the third smallest city in England. Only after Wells in Somerset and the City of London which are smaller.
The University of Cambridge rowing team has a boathouse on the bank of the river and train there for the annual Boat Race against the University of Oxford.
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.