England · Ruin

Ely Castle

Ely Castle is the site of a medieval motte-and-bailey castle in Ely, Cambridgeshire. Today the site survives as a grassy mound and earthworks in a public park; the original timber and earth fortifications no longer stand.

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Photograph via Wikimedia Commons

Its prime

1080

Today

Ruin

As it stood in 1080

What Ely Castle looked like in its prime.

A broad, steep-sided earthen motte rises from an open, gently sloping park, with lower, flattened earthwork banks of a surrounding bailey spreading beside it; no stone walls or masonry are visible in the photo. The site is set in trimmed grass with scattered deciduous trees and a shallow ditch around the base of the mound. At its prime the motte would have been surmounted by a timber keep and encircled by a wooden palisade, the bailey lined with timber buildings.

Its story

The story of Ely Castle.

William I raised a motte-and-bailey castle at Ely in 1070 during his conflict with Hereward the Wake, to subdue the Isle of Ely. Its probable site in the cathedral city is a mound near Ely Cathedral now called Cherry Hill.

A later castle on the site is credited to Bishop Nigel. Ely and its fortifications were captured in 1268 during the Second Barons' War, and the bishop's castle is thought to have been demolished soon afterwards. Nothing of the timber and earth defences stands; the site survives as a grassy mound and earthworks in a public park.

Step inside

6 places to explore in 1080.

The record describes 6 distinct spots at Ely Castle — including 2 interiors: summit with timber keep and palisade, bailey interior with timber buildings. Create your own photoreal reconstruction and walk through every one — more scenes means more rooms, more angles, and more of the place to stand in.

Approach from the parkBase of the motte and ditchSummit with timber keep and palisadeBailey interior with timber buildingsOuter bailey bank and surrounding landscapeView from the motte over the park

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