Almost the first thing we saw was this brood of Muscovy ducks going for a stroll - heading away from the water -
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A quaint crooked cottage on a back street is being left to moulder -
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Elsewhere the housing is better maintained -
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and some of it dates back to the 14th century -
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The
Old Fire Engine House had a very enjoyable exhibition of woodcuts by
Andy English and a lifetime's work by
Richard Sell -
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A visit to the Cromwell house gave us a chance to try on Civil War helmets, and ended with a very informative video on the draining of the fens (they flooded in winter, apart from places like the Isle of Ely). In the kitchen, a huge fireplace and food from the 17th century - many eels were caught locally -
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Of course the great attraction in Ely is the
cathedral, begun by William the Conqueror (and closed for 10 years by local resident and England "protector" Oliver Cromwell) -
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Norman arches everywhere, in glorious patterning -
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Most of the stained glass is Victorian, though this composite window seems to have collected up the older bits -
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You can make a brass rubbing -
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Several of these huge stoves try to heat the enormous building when the icy winds from Siberia blow over the fens -
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As embroidered church kneelers and cushions go, this is terrific -
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Of course we had to get an ice cream here -
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and while walking along eating it came across the town's new bead shop -
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After a little sit beside the river, it was time to go home.
Wow! That's some bead shop!
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