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Ely, Cardiff

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Ely (Welsh Trelai tref town + Elai River Ely) is a suburb primarily dominated by council housing in western Cardiff, Wales.

1 History
2 Transport
3 Public Houses
4 Youth
5 Famous people from Ely
6 Electoral ward
7 References

History

Ely in 1881.

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. The 'Ely Industrial School' was home to orphaned children originally from Cardiff, and was . The school was demolished some years later and an infectious diseases isolation unit was built on the same site. Most of Ely was still farmland feeding Cardiff's population. A railway station had only recently been constructed, and gave the surrounding area further potential for mass housing development. . On the maps you can see the Ely Industrial school marked on the Cowbridge Rd (Cowbridge Road East). 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.^[1] The map also shows Ely Racecourse, which closed in 1939. 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 (including the Manselton area of Swansea), the boundaries of the old estate can be approximated by the locations of public houses 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). Ely's rapid expansion of housing began in the 1920s to provide 'homes fit for heroes'. This came with the construction of council houses to rehouse people from Cardiff's inner-city slums. The area has since acquired a reputation that the residents are keen to dispel.^[2] The suburban area was scarred by rioting and petrol bombing during 1991 when shops and houses were burned down by angry mobs. See Ely Petrol Riots.

Transport

Cowbridge Road West (the A48) 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. The parallel Grand Avenue links Cowbridge Road West to the northern estates of Ely. Ely features several shopping parades, notably on Wilson Road as well as Grand Avenue. Not being on Cardiff's rail network, Ely is served by Cardiff Bus' Capital City Red Route services 17 and 18 using articulated buses which operate every 10 minutes from Central Station via Canton and Caerau. North Ely is also served by services 12(A) and 13(A) which terminate at Culverhouse Cross / The Drope.

Public Houses

There are numerous pubs in the Ely area.

Youth

Primary Schools in Ely include:

Trelai Primary School
Millbank Primary School
Windsor Clive Junior School

High Schools in Ely include:

Glyn Derw High School
Michaelston Community College

Youth Centres in Ely include:

North Ely YC (northelyyc@cardiff.gov.uk) on Pethybridge Road
Dusty Forge Project on Cowbridge Road West

Famous people from Ely

Shakin' Stevens, singer who enjoyed the height of his fame in the 1980s. Was born at a council house on Marcross Road, the youngest of 11 children.
Noel Sullivan, member of early 2000s pop group Hear'Say.
Jason Mohammad, BBC Wales news reader.
Jessica Jones, firefighter.

Electoral ward

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; Culverhouse Cross to the west; and the Vale of Glamorgan to the southwest.