Oliver Cromwell's House nestled close to Ely cathedral. We stopped by here on our way to Norfolk, so being very interested in history, I was looking forward to this visit. Now, bearing in mind that this was Easter weekend, Ely was insanely busy! So, we had to park on a supermarket car park. This meant that we only had two hours to visit Ely. By the time we had walked to the house, we had lost a fair bit of time, (it wasn't very well signposted in town and we had to ask some locals), Most of which just gave us a blank look or didn't speak English...ahem! The house itself is now used as the local Tourist Information Office, so there was one room lost. The first part of the visit is spent in the next room showing a film about the times of Cromwell, which was pretty good. Then you proceed to walk around the house. A couple of rooms are decorated as they would have been back in the day, but unfortunately most of the house is given over to kids activities or meeting rooms. There was a bedroom, that is touted as a "haunted" room. It's kept very dark and there is a recorded story, everyone was expecting a jump scare from the mannequin in the bed, but alas - no such luck! So much more could have been made of this house, maybe have some costumed volunteers pretending to be Cromwell or his family etc, giving their side of the times? Also the visit wasn't helped by the place being overcrowded. So we left feeling very disappointed with our visit, and wishing we'd gone to Ely cathedral instead.

It was very quiet when we came, which was great as I wouldn't want to come when it's busy! The exhibition in the house is really excellent, and there are some hands-on things which are great for kids (and others). The only thing I found slightly disappointing was how much of the house has been modernised (stairs etc.), but on the other hand I do realise why it is like this. Definitely worth a visit.

We really enjoyed our visit. Each person had their own handheld audio guide so you could go through the house at your own pace. The main information was given and there were also opportunities to listen to more detail on the audio guide if you so wished. At £6.50 per adult we thought it was reasonably priced. If in Ely I would definitely recommend you pay a visit here.

Oliver Cromwell's House in Ely is the only surviving home of the British "Lord Protector", he lived in it for ten years (1643-1653). It is a small museum which aims to recreate how Cromwell lived during this time, and does a pretty good job of it. This isn't a huge place, so it will not occupy visitors for much more than an hour. The audio guide you get at the front desk (UKP 6.50 for an adult ticket) is very helpful, make sure to use it. As you walk through the rooms you'll get a nice sense of the place and the history behind it, though the means of "immersion" and "interactivity" are very limited indeed. Most of the time you'll be listening to the audio guide or reading the info posters on the walls. A brief video at the start will give you some info on the man's life. Worth a visit if you're in Ely anyway (the marvellous Ely Cathedral) is just a short walk away). Also, make sure to have a quick look at Cromwell's community church, St. Mary', right next door.

A generally well set out and extremely interesting house. Loads of new information about Cromwell and life at the time. Some display boards are tucked into awkward areas and the choice of some of the print colour on posters makes them hard to read. The audio guide is excellent.