Ely Place

Ely Place is a gated road at the southern tip of the London Borough of Camden in London, England. It is the location of the Old Mitre Tavern and is adjacent to Hatton Garden.

History

Origins

The cul-de-sac was constructed in 1772 by Robert Taylor on land which had been the site of Ely Palace; the property of the Bishops of Ely from 1290 to 1772.Richardson, J., "The Annals of London", (2000)] Land in the Holborn area was bought by John de Kirkby in 1280. He was appointed Bishop of Ely in 1286 and upon his death in 1290, left the estate to the see of Ely. The estate was sold to the Crown in 1772 and the Bishop of Ely commissioned a new Ely House, also built by Taylor, on Dover Street, Mayfair.

In medieval times, bishops of Ely frequently held high state office requiring them to live in London. There are references to Ely Palace grounds in Shakespeare’s plays. It was at the house that the Bard had John of Gaunt – who was living there in 1382 – say his "This royal throne of Kings, this sceptre’d isle" speech.

t Etheldreda's Church

St Etheldreda's Church in Ely Place is the former private chapel of the Bishops of Ely. It is still standing today, and is the only surviving building in London from the reign of Edward I (1239–1307) though it was badly damaged during World War II. St Etheldreda, a seventh-century queen and nun, was the saint in whose name Ely Cathedral was founded. The gardens of St Etheldreda were said to produce the finest strawberries in London and a "Strawberry Fayre" is held here every June. In Shakespeare’s Richard III, Gloucester tells the Bishop of Ely: "My Lord of Ely, when I was last in Holborn, I saw good strawberries in your garden there. I do beseech you, send for some of them".

Commissioners

In 1842 a local Act of Parliament established a body of commissioners "for paving, lighting, watching, cleansing and improving Ely Place and Ely Mews, Holborn, in the County of Middlesex". [5 & 6 Vict. c.xlviii] While the commissioners have lost most of their powers to local authorities established under the Metropolis Management Act 1855 and later legislation, they retain their "watching" duties, with a beadle discharging these functions.

Transport

To the east is Farringdon Road and to the south is Holborn Circus. The nearest underground stations are Farringdon to the north-east and Chancery Lane to the west.

References

External links

* [http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=45119 Walter Thornbury, "Ely Place", in "Old and New London": Volume 2 (1878) (British History Online), accessed January 6, 2008]