The history of the suburb of Ely

View a map of Ely from 1922

Ely takes its name from the River Ely, which acts as the estate's border to the West, and may well be one of the oldest suburbs in Cardiff, dating back to the times when the Romans had built a road along the ancient route from Llandaff (now Cowbridge Road East and West).

This ancient track way spanned all the way from London, to Carmarthen in West Wales. For hundreds of years Ely was a Hamlet with a small fishery and a corn mill. After the Norman Conquest of south-east Wales in the 1090's, Ely was given to the manor of Llandaff.

The residents lived in cottages around the Bridge and Mill Road. Some examples of the cottages can still be seen today. In the mid 1760's, the Turnpike Trust was created by the Council of Cardiff. The trust would set up the equivalent of modern day toll booths across the town, including on Ely Bridge. Soon, horse drawn mail-coaches were making their way through Ely on their way to Milford Haven. The Dusty Forge pub (now a youth centre) was for a long time, a mail-coach stop. Ely Bridge has been renovated many times since the 1600's, with it last being reconstructed in 1911.

During 1849, a cholera epidemic broke out in Cardiff. In order to combat the threat, increased sanitation and pure water was required. The Cardiff Water Company purchased the corn mill and built a pumping station to draw water from the river.

Though Ely was still regarded as ‘a small village in the parish of Llandaff’, the opening of Ely Train Station in 1850 helped to bring new employment the area, most of which was based around the bridge.

Among these industries were two breweries. The Ely Brewery, established in 1855, and then in 1895 Crosswell’s Brewery, which later became the Rhymney Brewery. In 1959 the two companies merged and 7 years later, it was taken over by Whitbread’s. In 1982, the smell of hops vanished forever when the brewery was closed down.

Not far from the breweries, Samuel Chivers set up his factory in 1890. Famous for its vinegar, pickles and jam, Chivers’ was in operation until 1977, when it was sold off, and unfortunately, closed down a few years later.

Bridge Hotel, on the bank of the Ely River - 1909

The front of the old Chivers factory - 2009

The Ely Paper Works, which opened in 1865, was sited south-east of the bridge and within 20 years it was the largest producer of newsprint in Britain. Arjo Wiggins became the owners in 1990, and as the company switched to the manufacturing of carbonless (biodegradable) paper. Unfortunately, the company closed in 1999 due to falling demand, with home and office computers replacing the need for paper documents.

In 1922, Ely became a suburb of Cardiff and, following the Town Council's purchase of Red House Farm and Green Farm, over 3,000 council houses were built within two years. The entire estate north of Cowbridge Road was completed before World War Two with houses built to a high standard with relatively new electric lighting. The quality of the properties was so impressive, that the company that built them (Bright and Addicott) was given contracts to build similar estates across the town. This explains why some houses in Grangetown are very similar in design. Houses at Ely were in great demand and first priority was given to families living in overcrowded conditions.

The Western Cemetery was opened in 1936, with a section dedicated to the Imperial War Graves Commission, for those who lost their lives in the two world wars. Simple, white headstones serve as a reminder of servicemen who died in two world wars. Since 1945, Ely has been expanding quickly. In the 1950's, Culverhouse Cross was transformed from fields and railway embankments, to a major link road and roundabout, linking to the M4.

During the 80's and early 90's, Culverhouse Cross saw further massive commercial development take place, with the adding of the Copthorne Hotel, HTV (now ITV Wales) Studios and a busy retail park. Private housing developments sprang up in and around the Drope, and northern Ely. Fortunately the nearby Motorway acts as a border to the West of the City, preventing any more green belt land being built on.

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