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Ely ( from ''tref'', town + , River Ely) is a district and
community A community is a social unit (a group of people) with a shared socially-significant characteristic, such as place, set of norms, culture, religion, values, customs, or identity. Communities may share a sense of place situated in a given g ...
in
Cardiff Cardiff (; ) is the capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of Wales. Cardiff had a population of in and forms a Principal areas of Wales, principal area officially known as the City and County of Ca ...
,
Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...
. It is to the north of Cowbridge Road West. Caerau defines the boundary to the south as does River Ely to the east and in part to the north.


Roman era

In
Roman times In modern historiography, ancient Rome is the Roman civilisation from the founding of the Italian city of Rome in the 8th century BC to the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD. It encompasses the Roman Kingd ...
, Ely was the site of a
Roman villa A Roman villa was typically a farmhouse or country house in the territory of the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire, sometimes reaching extravagant proportions. Nevertheless, the term "Roman villa" generally covers buildings with the common ...
, near the old racecourse, and of iron smelting possibly using manganese to harden steel. There is also thought to have been a
Roman road Roman roads ( ; singular: ; meaning "Roman way") were physical infrastructure vital to the maintenance and development of the Roman state, built from about 300 BC through the expansion and consolidation of the Roman Republic and the Roman Em ...
near the site linking to Cardiff Roman Fort and eastwards to Newport.


19th century

In 1855, the first horse race took place at Ely Racecourse, which took over from the Great Heath racecourse. The
Ordnance Survey The Ordnance Survey (OS) is the national mapping agency for Great Britain. The agency's name indicates its original military purpose (see Artillery, ordnance and surveying), which was to map Scotland in the wake of the Jacobite rising of ...
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 potholes 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 In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the reign of Queen Victoria, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. Slightly different definitions are sometimes used. The era followed th ...
, and
workhouse In Britain and Ireland, a workhouse (, lit. "poor-house") was a total institution where those unable to support themselves financially were offered accommodation and employment. In Scotland, they were usually known as Scottish poorhouse, poorh ...
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 known as Ely Homes. The school was demolished some years later and an
infectious disease An infection is the invasion of tissue (biology), tissues by pathogens, their multiplication, and the reaction of host (biology), host tissues to the infectious agent and the toxins they produce. An infectious disease, also known as a transmis ...
s isolation unit was built on the same site. The land was once owned by the Earl of Plymouth, who dictated that
alcohol Alcohol may refer to: Common uses * Alcohol (chemistry), a class of compounds * Ethanol, one of several alcohols, commonly known as alcohol in everyday life ** Alcohol (drug), intoxicant found in alcoholic beverages ** Alcoholic beverage, an alco ...
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 A pub (short for public house) is in several countries a drinking establishment licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption Licensing laws of the United Kingdom#On-licence, on the premises. The term first appeared in England in the ...
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).


20th and 21st centuries

Ely's rapid expansion of housing began in the 1920s to provide 'homes fit for heroes' after
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
. This came with the construction of council houses to rehouse people from Cardiff's inner-city
slum A slum is a highly populated Urban area, urban residential area consisting of densely packed housing units of weak build quality and often associated with poverty. The infrastructure in slums is often deteriorated or incomplete, and they are p ...
s. Ely Racecourse had its grandstand destroyed in a fire in 1937 and was then closed in 1939. Ely Hospital was a large
psychiatric hospital A psychiatric hospital, also known as a mental health hospital, a behavioral health hospital, or an asylum is a specialized medical facility that focuses on the treatment of severe Mental disorder, mental disorders. These institutions cater t ...
which was the subject of abuse allegations in the 1960s. The subsequent enquiry led to reforms to mental health provision throughout the
National Health Service The National Health Service (NHS) is the term for the publicly funded health care, publicly funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom: the National Health Service (England), NHS Scotland, NHS Wales, and Health and Social Care (Northern ...
. The hospital closed in 1996. 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.


Crime and disorder

The area was scarred by
rioting A riot or mob violence is a form of civil disorder commonly characterized by a group lashing out in a violent public disturbance against authority, property, or people. Riots typically involve destruction of property, public or private. The p ...
in September 1991 when shops and houses were vandalised and burnt in one of several waves of rioting around that time which occurred nationally and resulted in extensive damage and casualties. The trouble was said to be started after a dispute between Wilson Road shopkeepers over the right to sell bread. Some of the buildings targeted in Ely have since been demolished under more recent redevelopment projects. In June 1993, 45-year-old former steelworker Les Reed was beaten to death after he challenged a gang of youths on the estate after he and a friend witnessed them vandalising a bollard in the middle of a road. Three local youths were later found guilty of Reed's murder and sentenced to
life imprisonment Life imprisonment is any sentence (law), sentence of imprisonment under which the convicted individual is to remain incarcerated for the rest of their natural life (or until pardoned or commuted to a fixed term). Crimes that result in life impr ...
, and a fourth was cleared of murder but found guilty of manslaughter and received a lesser sentence. A friend of Reed, Phillip Tull, was also attacked but survived. After the trial in March 1994, it was revealed that three of the gang had previous convictions for violence, including one gang member who had a conviction for wounding Reed's teenage son Martin in 1991. Around this time, ''
The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...
'' reported that unemployment on the estate stood at more than 30% (at least three times the national average) and there was an ongoing problem with car crime and gang warfare. On the night of 22-23 May 2023,
rioting A riot or mob violence is a form of civil disorder commonly characterized by a group lashing out in a violent public disturbance against authority, property, or people. Riots typically involve destruction of property, public or private. The p ...
broke out in the area after two teenage boys, Kyrees Sullivan and Harvey Evans, were killed when the electric bike they were riding crashed during a police chase.Antonia Matthews and Adam Hale
"Cardiff Riot: Two Teenagers Killed in Crash before Ely Disorder"
''
BBC News BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broad ...
'', 23 May 2023. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
"Cardiff Riots: Social Media Rumours About Crash Started Unrest, Says Police Commissioner"
''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'', 23 May 2023. Retrieved 23 May 2023.


Transport

Cowbridge Road West (the
A48 A48 may refer to: * A48 motorway (France), a road connecting the A43 and Grenoble * A48 road (Great Britain), a road connecting Gloucester, England and Carmarthen, Wales * Autovía A-48, a motorway under construction connecting Cadiz and Algecira ...
) is the predominant road running through Ely as it runs on to Canton and
Cardiff city centre Cardiff city centre () is the city centre and central business district of Cardiff, Wales. The area is tightly bound by the River Taff to the west, the Civic Centre to the north and railway lines and two railway stations – Cardiff Cen ...
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 services 17 and 18 which operate every 10 minutes from Wood Street in Cardiff city centre via Canton and Caerau. North Ely is also served by service 13 which terminates at the Cardiff Bus Interchange Cardiff Bus services 96 to Barry, and Adventure_Travel_(bus_company)'s C1 service also serves Ely between Culverhouse Cross, Cardiff City Centre and Pontprennau to the north The nearest station is Waun-gron Park in Fairwater. Ely railway station, which closed in 1962, was on the
South Wales Main Line The South Wales Main Line (), originally known as the London, Bristol and South Wales Direct Railway or simply as the Bristol and South Wales Direct Railway, is a branch of the Great Western Main Line in Great Britain. It diverges from the co ...
.


Electoral ward

Ely is both an
electoral ward A ward is a local authority area, typically used for electoral purposes. In some countries, wards are usually named after neighbourhoods, thoroughfares, parishes, landmarks, geographical features and in some cases historical figures connected t ...
, and a
community A community is a social unit (a group of people) with a shared socially-significant characteristic, such as place, set of norms, culture, religion, values, customs, or identity. Communities may share a sense of place situated in a given g ...
of the City of Cardiff. There is no
community council A community council is a public representative body in Great Britain. In England they may be statutory parish councils by another name, under the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007, or they may be non-statutory bodies. ...
for the area. The
electoral ward A ward is a local authority area, typically used for electoral purposes. In some countries, wards are usually named after neighbourhoods, thoroughfares, parishes, landmarks, geographical features and in some cases historical figures connected t ...
of Ely falls within the parliamentary constituency of Cardiff West. It is bounded by Fairwater 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 The Vale of Glamorgan ( ), locally referred to as ''The Vale'', is a Principal areas of Wales, county borough in the South East Wales, south-east of Wales. It borders Bridgend County Borough to the west, Cardiff to the east, Rhondda Cynon Taf t ...
to the southwest. All three council seats are safely held by the Labour Party, with one of the long-term representatives being former Council leader, Russell Goodway, though in 2004 when Labour lost the Council to the Liberal Democrats, Goodway retained his seat by only 62 votes."Goodway: I've got my life back"
''Wales Online'', 17 June 2004. The Ely electoral ward consists of the area north of Cowbridge Road West, while the Caerau electoral ward consists of the area south of Cowbridge Road West. However, a misconception is Caerau being a subsection of the Ely area.


Notable people

* Steve Andrews, the "Bard of Ely"; singer-songwriter, writer and journalist * Rakie Ayola, actress, raised in Ely *
Ryan Giggs Ryan Joseph Giggs (né Wilson; born 29 November 1973) is a Welsh football coach, former player and co-owner of Salford City. He is regarded as one of the greatest players of his generation, and one of the best wingers in the history of footba ...
,
Manchester United Manchester United Football Club, commonly referred to as Man United (often stylised as Man Utd) or simply United, is a professional association football, football club based in Old Trafford (area), Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, Engl ...
and
Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...
footballer * Rosemary Joshua,
opera Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...
soprano A soprano () is a type of classical singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261 Hertz, Hz to A5 in Choir, choral ...
known for her performances in
George Frideric Handel George Frideric (or Frederick) Handel ( ; baptised , ; 23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) was a German-British Baroque composer well-known for his operas, oratorios, anthems, concerti grossi, and organ concerti. Born in Halle, Germany, H ...
's operas * Danielle Lineker, actress and model * Mackenzie Martin, Cardiff and Wales rugby union player *
Jason Mohammad Jason Mohammad (born 17 September 1973) is a Welsh radio and television presenter currently working for the BBC. He is the host of '' Final Score'' on BBC One on Saturday afternoons. Personal life Mohammad was born and brought up in Cardiff to ...
, radio and television presenter for the BBC *
Eluned Morgan, Baroness Morgan of Ely Mair Eluned Morgan, Baroness Morgan of Ely, (born 16 February 1967), is a Welsh politician who has served as First Minister of Wales and Leader of Welsh Labour since 2024. Morgan is the first woman, and first member of the House of Lords to ho ...
,
Welsh Labour Welsh Labour (), formerly known as the Labour Party in Wales (), is an autonomous section of the United Kingdom Labour Party (UK), Labour Party in Wales and the largest party in modern Welsh politics. Welsh Labour and its forebears have won a p ...
politician, member of the Senedd, and
First Minister of Wales The first minister of Wales () is the leader of the Welsh Government and keeper of the Welsh Seal. The first minister chairs the Welsh Cabinet and is primarily responsible for the formulation, development and presentation of Welsh Government po ...
. * Nicky Piper, super-middleweight and light-heavyweight boxer * Steve Robinson, WBO
featherweight Featherweight is a weight class in the combat sports of boxing, kickboxing, mixed martial arts, and Greco-Roman wrestling. Boxing Professional boxing History A featherweight boxer weighs in at a limit of . In the early days of the division, ...
boxer * Shakin' Stevens, pop singer of the 1980s * Noel Sullivan, Hear'say member, singer, musical performer, actor. * Glen Webbe, former Bridgend and Wales rugby union player, described as "Wales first black icon"


Amenities

Ely features several shopping parades. Two large supermarkets are located just off Cowbridge Road West on nearby Treseder Way. Many small shops and local businesses are notably on Wilson Road and Grand Avenue; and other chain stores are in the Caerau ward.


Education

Primary Schools in Ely: * Windsor Clive Junior School on Grand Avenue * Herbert Thompson Primary School on Plymouthwood Road * Hywel Dda Primary School on Cambria Road * Saint Fagans Church in Wales Primary School on Drope Road * Saint Francis RC Primary School on Wilson Road High Schools in Ely: * Cardiff West Community High School on Penally Road Youth Centres in Ely: *North Ely YC on Pethybridge Road *Dusty Forge Project on Cowbridge Road West


References


External links


OpenStreetMap map of the Ely area. Includes schools, pubs, etc.A Cardiff University insight into youth and rap culture in Elywww.geograph.co.uk : photos of Ely and surrounding area
{{Politics and Government in Cardiff Communities in Cardiff Districts of Cardiff