Ely, Cardiff
Encyclopedia
Ely is a community
primarily dominated by council housing in western
Cardiff
, capital of Wales
.
, Ely was the site of a Roman villa
, near the old racecourse. There is also thought to have been a Roman road
near the site linking to Cardiff Roman Fort
and eastwards to Newport
.
, which took over from the Great Heath racecourse.
The Ordnance Survey
map from the early 1880s shows just how isolated the ancient Ely village was from the rest of Cardiff. Reports about travelling along the main road over Ely Common to Cardiff talk of pot holes and no shelter and a terrible journey on foot. Most of Ely was still farmland feeding Cardiff's population. A railway station had only recently been constructed, and this gave the surrounding area further potential for mass housing development.
The 'Ely Industrial School' on Cowbridge Road East
was home to orphaned children originally from Cardiff. It had been set up to accommodate "pauper children" from 1863. It was very much a product of the Victorian age, and workhouse
mentality, increased social awareness and responsibility saw it closing in 1903 and converted to additional workhouse accommodation for adults (though never used for that purpose), known as Ely Lodge. The children lived in what became as Ely Homes. The school was demolished some years later and an infectious disease
s isolation unit was built on the same site.
The land was once owned by the Earl of Plymouth
, who dictated that alcohol
may not be sold on the land. As a result, like other plots of land with similar conditions, the boundaries of the old estate can be approximated by the locations of public house
s around the area.
To attract business from nearby areas, establishments would be built as close to it as possible without actually being in Ely (local establishments are actually in Caerau
and Fairwater
).
s.
Ely Racecourse
had its grandstand destroyed in a fire in 1937 and was then closed in 1939.
The area is widely considered to be one of Cardiff's less desirable areas in terms of crime and standard of living. But the residents of Ely are keen to dispel this reputation, citing the fact it is a very large, close knit community.
The area was scarred by rioting and petrol bombing during 1991 when shops and houses were burned down by angry mobs in the Ely Petrol Riots.
The electoral ward of Ely falls within the parliamentary constituency of Cardiff West
. It is bounded by Fairwater
and Gabalfa
to the northwest; Caerau
to the south (although some of Lower Ely is technically in the electoral ward of Caerau, as is Trelai (Ely) Park); Culverhouse Cross
to the west; and the Vale of Glamorgan
to the southwest.
The Ely electoral ward consists of the area north of Cowbridge Road West, while the Caerau elecoral ward consists of the area south of Cowbridge Road West. However, a misconception is Caerau being a subsection of the Ely area.
) is the predominant road running through Ely as it runs on to Canton
and Cardiff city centre
to the east, and to Culverhouse Cross
interchange to the west near the Western Cemetery
. The parallel Grand Avenue links Cowbridge Road West to the northern estates of Ely.
Ely is served by Cardiff Bus
' Capital City Red
bus services 17 and 18 using articulated bus
es which operate every 10 minutes from Central Station
via Canton
and Caerau
. North Ely is also served by services 12 and 13 which terminate westbound at Culverhouse Cross
and eastbound in Tremorfa
. Cardiff Bus services 96, 101 & 102, St Davids Travel service 18A, First Cymru service X2 and Easyway service 322 also serve the area.
The nearest station, which is accessible via Birdies Lane or Cowbridge Road, is Waun-Gron Park
in Fairwater.
and Farmfoods
) are located just off Cowbridge Road West
on nearby Treseder Way. Tesco Express and Blockbuster Inc. are both on Cowbridge Road near the Western Leisure Centre. The area also has a large Lidl
store and a small Lloyds Pharmacy on Careau Lane. Many small shops and local businesses are notably on Wilson Road and Grand Avenue, A Greggs
store can be found on both streets and other chain stores are in the Careau ward such as B&Q
and Homebase
.
in the Ely area, such as The Bridge Inn, on Ely Bridge, Cowbridge Road. And there are numerous social clubs, such as Ely Social and Sports Club (near Ely bridge), the Ely Royal Air Force Association (on Riverside Terrace in Lower Ely), Glamorgan Wanderers RFC Clubhouse (home of Glamorgan Wanderers RFC), and Cardiff West End Social Club (near the bottom of Wilson road.) The Jasmine Enterprise Centre is joined next to the Fire Station on Cowbridge Road West.
High Schools in Ely:
Youth Centres in Ely include:
Community (Wales)
A community is a division of land in Wales that forms the lowest-tier of local government in Wales. Welsh communities are analogous to civil parishes in England....
primarily dominated by council housing in western
Cardiff West
Cardiff West or West Cardiff refers to the collection of communities in the west of Cardiff, Wales. Also the usage is unofficial and boundaries are only ambiguously defined, they generally share the postcodes CF5 or CF15, and the telephone code 029...
Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
, capital of Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
.
The Roman era
In Roman timesRoman Britain
Roman Britain was the part of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire from AD 43 until ca. AD 410.The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia...
, Ely was the site of a Roman villa
Roman villa
A Roman villa is a villa that was built or lived in during the Roman republic and the Roman Empire. A villa was originally a Roman country house built for the upper class...
, near the old racecourse. There is also thought to have been a Roman road
Roman road
The Roman roads were a vital part of the development of the Roman state, from about 500 BC through the expansion during the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. Roman roads enabled the Romans to move armies and trade goods and to communicate. The Roman road system spanned more than 400,000 km...
near the site linking to Cardiff Roman Fort
Cardiff Roman Fort
Cardiff Roman Fort was a coastal fort in the Roman province of Britannia Superior, of which Roman Wales was a part. Its original Latin name is uncertain. Its remains are incorporated into Cardiff Castle in the modern capital city of Wales.-Name:...
and eastwards to Newport
Newport
Newport is a city and unitary authority area in Wales. Standing on the banks of the River Usk, it is located about east of Cardiff and is the largest urban area within the historic county boundaries of Monmouthshire and the preserved county of Gwent...
.
19th century
In 1855, the first horse race took place at Ely RacecourseEly Racecourse
Ely Racecourse was a horse racing venue in Cardiff, Wales. Opened in 1855, it held up to 40,000 spectators. In 1895, it hosted the Welsh National. The venue closed on April 27, 1939 ....
, which took over from the Great Heath racecourse.
The Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey , an executive agency and non-ministerial government department of the Government of the United Kingdom, is the national mapping agency for Great Britain, producing maps of Great Britain , and one of the world's largest producers of maps.The name reflects its creation together with...
map from the early 1880s shows just how isolated the ancient Ely village was from the rest of Cardiff. Reports about travelling along the main road over Ely Common to Cardiff talk of pot holes and no shelter and a terrible journey on foot. Most of Ely was still farmland feeding Cardiff's population. A railway station had only recently been constructed, and this gave the surrounding area further potential for mass housing development.
Cowbridge Road East
thumb|Cowbridge Road East shopsCowbridge Road East is a major road in western-central Cardiff the capital of Wales. It is the principal road which passes through the busy district of Canton and connects Cowbridge Road West in the western districts to central Cardiff. The road is partly on the...
was home to orphaned children originally from Cardiff. It had been set up to accommodate "pauper children" from 1863. It was very much a product of the Victorian age, and workhouse
Workhouse
In England and Wales a workhouse, colloquially known as a spike, was a place where those unable to support themselves were offered accommodation and employment...
mentality, increased social awareness and responsibility saw it closing in 1903 and converted to additional workhouse accommodation for adults (though never used for that purpose), known as Ely Lodge. The children lived in what became as Ely Homes. The school was demolished some years later and an infectious disease
Infectious disease
Infectious diseases, also known as communicable diseases, contagious diseases or transmissible diseases comprise clinically evident illness resulting from the infection, presence and growth of pathogenic biological agents in an individual host organism...
s isolation unit was built on the same site.
The land was once owned by the Earl of Plymouth
Earl of Plymouth
Earl of Plymouth is a title that has been created three times, twice in the Peerage of England and once in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. The first creation was in 1675 for Charles FitzCharles, illegitimate son of King Charles II by his mistress Catherine Pegge...
, who dictated that alcohol
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
may not be sold on the land. As a result, like other plots of land with similar conditions, the boundaries of the old estate can be approximated by the locations of public house
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
s around the area.
To attract business from nearby areas, establishments would be built as close to it as possible without actually being in Ely (local establishments are actually in Caerau
Caerau, Cardiff
Caerau is a community in the west of Cardiff, capital city of Wales. Heol Trelai is the main road or avenue which is very much lined with large trees and shrubbery. Dominated mostly by council housing, it has the Western Leisure Centre, supermarkets, schools, churches and an Ely Police Station...
and Fairwater
Fairwater, Cardiff
Fairwater is a district in the west of Cardiff, capital of Wales. It is located a few miles from Culverhouse Cross which connects Cardiff to the M4 motorway.- History :The name Tyllgoed, meaning "dark wood" goes back to the 15th century...
).
20th and 21st centuries
Ely's rapid expansion of housing began in the 1920s to provide 'homes fit for heroes' after World War I. This came with the construction of council houses to rehouse people from Cardiff's inner-city slumSlum
A slum, as defined by United Nations agency UN-HABITAT, is a run-down area of a city characterized by substandard housing and squalor and lacking in tenure security. According to the United Nations, the percentage of urban dwellers living in slums decreased from 47 percent to 37 percent in the...
s.
Ely Racecourse
Ely Racecourse
Ely Racecourse was a horse racing venue in Cardiff, Wales. Opened in 1855, it held up to 40,000 spectators. In 1895, it hosted the Welsh National. The venue closed on April 27, 1939 ....
had its grandstand destroyed in a fire in 1937 and was then closed in 1939.
The area is widely considered to be one of Cardiff's less desirable areas in terms of crime and standard of living. But the residents of Ely are keen to dispel this reputation, citing the fact it is a very large, close knit community.
The area was scarred by rioting and petrol bombing during 1991 when shops and houses were burned down by angry mobs in the Ely Petrol Riots.
Electoral ward
Cardiff West (UK Parliament constituency)
Cardiff West is a borough constituency in the city of Cardiff. It returns one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post voting system...
. It is bounded by Fairwater
Fairwater, Cardiff
Fairwater is a district in the west of Cardiff, capital of Wales. It is located a few miles from Culverhouse Cross which connects Cardiff to the M4 motorway.- History :The name Tyllgoed, meaning "dark wood" goes back to the 15th century...
and Gabalfa
Gabalfa
Gabalfa is a district in the north of the city of Cardiff, capital of Wales. It is characterised by an enormous fly over road which is part of the large Gabalfa Interchange, and crosses the A48 road in a north-south direction. The area is also the site of the All Nations Centre.The name is derived...
to the northwest; Caerau
Caerau, Cardiff
Caerau is a community in the west of Cardiff, capital city of Wales. Heol Trelai is the main road or avenue which is very much lined with large trees and shrubbery. Dominated mostly by council housing, it has the Western Leisure Centre, supermarkets, schools, churches and an Ely Police Station...
to the south (although some of Lower Ely is technically in the electoral ward of Caerau, as is Trelai (Ely) Park); Culverhouse Cross
Culverhouse Cross
Culverhouse Cross is suburban district in the west of Cardiff, capital of Wales, lying on the border with the Vale of Glamorgan.The busy Culverhouse Cross roundabout is an important part of the primary road network to the west of the city and connects the A4232 , the A4050 , and...
to the west; and the Vale of Glamorgan
Vale of Glamorgan
The Vale of Glamorgan is a county borough in Wales; an exceptionally rich agricultural area, it lies in the southern part of Glamorgan, South Wales...
to the southwest.
The Ely electoral ward consists of the area north of Cowbridge Road West, while the Caerau elecoral ward consists of the area south of Cowbridge Road West. However, a misconception is Caerau being a subsection of the Ely area.
Transport
Cowbridge Road West (the A48A48 road
The A48 is a major trunk road in Great Britain. It runs from the A40 at Highnam west of Gloucester to the A40 at Carmarthen. Before the construction of the M4 motorway and the first Severn Bridge in the mid 1960s it was the principal route into South Wales. For most of its journey through Wales,...
) is the predominant road running through Ely as it runs on to Canton
Canton, Cardiff
Canton is an inner-city district and community in the west of Cardiff, capital of Wales, lying west of the city's civic centre. One of the most ethnically diverse of Cardiff's suburbs, with a significant Asian population such as Pakistanis and Indians, Canton has a population just in excess of...
and Cardiff city centre
Cardiff city centre
Cardiff city centre is the central business district of Cardiff, Wales. The area is tightly bounded by the River Taff to the west, the Civic centre to the north and railway lines and two railway stations - Central and Queen Street - to the south and east respectively...
to the east, and to Culverhouse Cross
Culverhouse Cross
Culverhouse Cross is suburban district in the west of Cardiff, capital of Wales, lying on the border with the Vale of Glamorgan.The busy Culverhouse Cross roundabout is an important part of the primary road network to the west of the city and connects the A4232 , the A4050 , and...
interchange to the west near the Western Cemetery
Western Cemetery (Wales)
Western Cemetery is a major cemetery located in the western suburb of Ely, Cardiff, Wales.The cemetery is located close to Culverhouse Cross and St. Fagans, in the very west of the district of Ely, on the Cowbridge Road West section of the A48 road near the Culverhouse Cross roundabout. The western...
. The parallel Grand Avenue links Cowbridge Road West to the northern estates of Ely.
Ely is served by Cardiff Bus
Cardiff Bus
Cardiff Bus is the dominant operator of bus services in Cardiff, Wales and the surrounding area, including Barry and Penarth. Its hub is Cardiff central bus station...
' Capital City Red
Capital City Red
Capital City Red is the branding of bus services 17 and 18 in Cardiff. The route runs from the city centre to the west of the city, serving the Canton, Ely and Caerau districts....
bus services 17 and 18 using articulated bus
Articulated bus
An articulated bus is an articulated vehicle used in public transportation. It is usually a single-deck design, and comprises two rigid sections linked by a pivoting joint...
es which operate every 10 minutes from Central Station
Cardiff Central bus station
Cardiff Central bus station is the main bus transport interchange in Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. With 34 stands, it is the largest bus station in the city and in Wales. It is located adjacent to Cardiff Central railway station forming a major bus-rail-cycle-taxi interchange.The station used...
via Canton
Canton, Cardiff
Canton is an inner-city district and community in the west of Cardiff, capital of Wales, lying west of the city's civic centre. One of the most ethnically diverse of Cardiff's suburbs, with a significant Asian population such as Pakistanis and Indians, Canton has a population just in excess of...
and Caerau
Caerau, Cardiff
Caerau is a community in the west of Cardiff, capital city of Wales. Heol Trelai is the main road or avenue which is very much lined with large trees and shrubbery. Dominated mostly by council housing, it has the Western Leisure Centre, supermarkets, schools, churches and an Ely Police Station...
. North Ely is also served by services 12 and 13 which terminate westbound at Culverhouse Cross
Culverhouse Cross
Culverhouse Cross is suburban district in the west of Cardiff, capital of Wales, lying on the border with the Vale of Glamorgan.The busy Culverhouse Cross roundabout is an important part of the primary road network to the west of the city and connects the A4232 , the A4050 , and...
and eastbound in Tremorfa
Tremorfa
Tremorfa is a district of the city of Cardiff, Wales. It falls into the Splott ward of Cardiff.-Transport:Tremorfa is the terminus of the 12/13 routes operating to Culverhouse Cross via Splott, Central Stn, Canton and Ely...
. Cardiff Bus services 96, 101 & 102, St Davids Travel service 18A, First Cymru service X2 and Easyway service 322 also serve the area.
The nearest station, which is accessible via Birdies Lane or Cowbridge Road, is Waun-Gron Park
Waun-Gron Park railway station
Waun-Gron Park railway station is a railway station serving the Fairwater area of Cardiff, Wales. The station was built when the City Line 4 km west of Cardiff Central reopened to passenger services in 1987....
in Fairwater.
Amenities
Ely features several shopping parades. Two large supermarkets (AldiALDI
ALDI Einkauf GmbH & Co. oHG, doing business as ', short for "Albrecht Discount", is a discount supermarket chain based in Germany...
and Farmfoods
Farmfoods
Farmfoods is a Scottish supermarket chain operating throughout the United Kingdom. Farmfoods predominately sells frozen food and also grocery items.- History :...
) are located just off Cowbridge Road West
Cowbridge Road West
Cowbridge Road West is a major road in western Cardiff, the capital of Wales and forms part of the A48 road.It divides the districts of Ely and Caerau and connects inner Cardiff to Culverhouse Cross and eventually the M4 motorway via the A4232....
on nearby Treseder Way. Tesco Express and Blockbuster Inc. are both on Cowbridge Road near the Western Leisure Centre. The area also has a large Lidl
Lidl
Lidl is a discount supermarket chain based in Germany that operates over 7,200 stores across Europe. The company's full name is Lidl Stiftung & Co. KG...
store and a small Lloyds Pharmacy on Careau Lane. Many small shops and local businesses are notably on Wilson Road and Grand Avenue, A Greggs
Greggs
Greggs plc is the largest specialist retail bakery chain in the United Kingdom. It was established in the 1930s as a single shop but has approximately 1,500 outlets....
store can be found on both streets and other chain stores are in the Careau ward such as B&Q
B&Q
B&Q plc is a multinational DIY and home improvement retailer headquartered in Eastleigh, United Kingdom. It was founded in 1969 and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Kingfisher plc, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange....
and Homebase
Homebase
Homebase is a British home improvement store and garden centre, with 350 stores across the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. It is well known by its green and orange colour scheme. Together with its sister company Argos , it forms part of Home Retail Group. Homebase recorded sales figures...
.
Public Houses
There are several pubsPublic house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
in the Ely area, such as The Bridge Inn, on Ely Bridge, Cowbridge Road. And there are numerous social clubs, such as Ely Social and Sports Club (near Ely bridge), the Ely Royal Air Force Association (on Riverside Terrace in Lower Ely), Glamorgan Wanderers RFC Clubhouse (home of Glamorgan Wanderers RFC), and Cardiff West End Social Club (near the bottom of Wilson road.) The Jasmine Enterprise Centre is joined next to the Fire Station on Cowbridge Road West.
Education
Primary Schools in Ely:- Trelai Primary School on Penally Road
- Millbank Primary School
- Windsor Clive Junior School
- Herbert Thompson School on Plymouth Wood Road
- Hywel Dda on Cambridge Road
- Saint Fagans Church in Wales Primary School
- Saint Francis RC primary school.
High Schools in Ely:
- Michaelston Community College on Michaelston Road
- Glyn Derw High School on Penally Road
- Woodlands High School on Vincent Road
- Mary Immaculate High SchoolMary Immaculate High School (Cardiff)Mary Immaculate High School is a Roman Catholic comprehensive school in Wenvoe, Cardiff, Wales.The school was founded in 1963 as Archbishop Mostyn RC Secondary Modern School, which later merged with Cyntwell Boys' School...
on Caerau Lane
Youth Centres in Ely include:
- North Ely YC (northelyyc@cardiff.gov.uk) on Pethybridge Road
- Dusty Forge Project on Cowbridge Road West
Notable people
- Shakin' StevensShakin' StevensShakin' Stevens, also known as "Shaky" is a platinum selling Welsh rock and roll singer and songwriter who holds the distinction of being the UK's biggest-selling singles artist of the 1980s . His recording and performing career began in the late 1960s, although it was not until 1980 that he saw...
, singer who enjoyed the height of his fame in the 1980s. - Steve Robinson (born 13 December 1968 Cardiff, Wales) WBO FeatherweightFeatherweightFeatherweight is a weight class division in the sport of boxing. There are similarly named divisions under several Mixed Martial Arts organizations and in Greco-Roman wrestling.-Professional boxing:...
boxerBoxingBoxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
. - Ryan GiggsRyan GiggsRyan Joseph Giggs OBE is a Welsh professional footballer who plays for Manchester United. Giggs made his first appearance for the club during the 1990–91 season and has been a regular player since the 1991–92 season...
prolific footballer for Manchester United, also a long serving one club player - Nicky PiperNicky PiperNicky Piper MBE is a retired Welsh super middleweight and light heavyweight boxer from Ely, Cardiff. His career was at its peak in the 1990s becoming the Commonwealth Light-heavyweight champion in 1995. He was trained by Charlie Pearson and self managed...
, super middleweight and light heavyweight boxer. - Danielle LinekerDanielle LinekerDanielle Maria Lineker , is a Welsh lingerie model, television personality and actress. She is married to former English footballer Gary Lineker.-Early life:...
, model