Oliver Cromwell's House — Attraction in East Cambridgeshire

Very interesting and thoroughly engaging and enthralling property that once the home of the famous figure of Oliver Cromwell. The building itself on the outside has the usual fabulous medieval architecture giving it some great and intriguing character about it. On the inside the house is basically a mixture of a museum and a medieval house which tells the story of Oliver Cromwell in relation to his life, his family, how he came to the house in Ely, his involvement in the Civil War and his rule as Lord Protector and his Death. There are various rooms to see such as The Parlour, The Cold Larder, The Kitchen, Mrs Cromwell's Room, The Civil War Room, The Study, The Haunted Bedroom, The Gallery Corridor and The Tithe Office all of which are beautifully presented and are laid out in an easy to understand way and there are information panels in each which are very informative and interesting to read and learn some fascinating facts about Oliver Cromwell and his family. The visit to The House starts off in The Parlour where you watch an engaging and riveting introductory video to Oliver Cromwell and the Home where he lived and finishes off in The Tithe Office. There is an audio guide provided with the visit which details some interesting facts about Oliver Cromwell and also the rooms you visit as you around his home and the audio guide also provides more detailed supplementary facts from the information panels in each of the rooms you visit, which is really good. There is no extra charge for the audio guide and is included in the admission fee of £7.50 making it very reasonable. Each of the rooms have some interesting things of note and interactive things to do for Adults and Children alike making the visit all the more fun and engaging such as in The Kitchen there is a recipe on how to make an Eel Pie, In Mrs Cromwell's Room there is writing desk where you can sit and write and there some clothes for people to try on along with toys and games and also there is the Cromwell family tree and details of the Cromwell children and how their lives panned out, In the Civil War Room you can learn about The Civil War and the outcome of it and the keys events of it and also see some interesting artefacts such as the protective soldiers wore and the weapons they used, which is really interesting In the Study you can vote whether Cromwell was a hero or villain and The Haunted Bedroom you can hear an Interactive audio and video of the End of Cromwell's life. The one thing the place does really is that challenges to people to think if Cromwell was really a hero or a villain and also challenges any opinions or judgments you have already of Cromwell and whether you think he really is a good or a bad guy making it all the more interesting and thought provoking and ultimately the visit could alter your opinion of him, which is really good. The attraction is also a Tourist Information Centre so you can pick up further information about other places to visit in Ely such as The Museum and Cathedral and you can pick leaflets of other places to visit in the surrounding area. There is a lovely gift shop as well selling souvenirs dedicated to Ely and the attraction at decent reasonable prices. Overall this is a thoroughly enthralling, engaging and enjoyable attraction to visit and one that could change your opinion of one of Britain's most prominent and controversial historical figures. Another a definite place visit whilst...

I visited Oliver Cromwell House on Thursday 20 October 2022. The coach drop off point was opposite Queen Adelaide House and I walked approximately 250 yards to the house in St Mary,s St. As I have a walking disability, this took me approximately 10 minutes. There is a green with benches from where you can see part of the cathedral ,if you need to rest. Part of the house is the local Tourist Information. I paid £6.50 and was given an audio guide device to go around the house at my own pace. It was interesting hearing something about the history of the house which has ranged from being a vicarage to a pub(called The Cromwell Arms naturally!) The first room is the Parlour. Here you can watch an introductory film about the role of the House in Cromwell's life and how he lived in it with his family. There are wooden benches as seating. The next room is the kitchen through a narrow latched door. Mind the step and your head as the ceiling is low. Interesting reconstruction of the food stuffs then available. It is worth noting that there is no original furniture from Cromwell's time,but the reconstruction feels very authentic. Sadly, my disability meant that I was unable to go up either sets of steep stairs to the upper rooms. However, I was kindly leant a guide book which in conjunction with the audio device gave me a good sense of what there was to see. There is an audio visual screen in the small foyer but unfortunately it is in need of repair and may take several weeks. I was able to see the Tithe Room , which is just off the foyer,up several steps. Had quite a long chat with the staff re accessibility issues. People accompanied by carers get free admittance for their helpers. It is best to contact the Tourist Information before you visit, if you have any concerns. Sadly, I think anyone on crutches or using a walker would find the house challenging and a wheelchair user would find...

I attempted to visit the house an hour before scheduled closing time only to be told that as there was currently a tour in progress I could not visit the house. As I had been told on an earlier occasion that the visits were self guided I asked to be able to take myself around. I was told that there were too many visitors already in the house so I could not see it. As I was alone I would have thought my presence would not have significantly affected those already present.The staff were unhelpful and rather dismissive offering no apology and suggesting that I return the next day. The previous day we had enquired about possible bus trips around Ely and were told that there was basically nothing unless we wanted to take a taxi somewhere. In the event we took the train to King's Lynn and had a lovely day out. Perhaps the staff at the tourist office could have suggested that as an alternative as surely that is what they are there for. I was unimpressed with the attitude of the staff who ought to have been much more helpful and accommodating. Ely is a delightful town not best served by the tourist...