| HISTORY: The recorded story of Ely Place and Ely
House goes back to the 13th century in the time of
Bishop Kirkby, and it was early in the 14th century that
a palace was built and became the town residence of the
Bishops of Ely, in Cambridgeshire. When you enter Ely
Court with its narrow passageways, you are
transported from the hustle and bustle of modern day
London to an historic little pub untouched by time. The
first Mitre Tavern was built in 1546 by Bishop Goodrich
for the house servants, and there is a mitre bearing this
date outside the present building. It was in 1576 that
Sir Christopher Hatton, the 'dancing' favourite of
Queen Elizabeth Ist practically commandeered the
house from Bishop Fox. Hatton was granted 21 years'
lease of a large part of the house and ground. His rent
was one red rose, ten loads of hay and £10 annually. In
the Mitre bar parlour is the preserved trunk of a cherry
tree around which Elizabeth Ist is reputed to have
danced the maypole. In Shakespeare's Richard II, Ely
House is where John of Gaunt made his famous
'sceptered isle' speech. One important liberty still left
to the residents of Ely Place is freedom from entry by
the police, except by invitation.
BAR: Over the past 400 years the atmosphere of this
charming Elizabethan pub has changed little. To this
effect, you'll find no gaming machines or music. The
pub offers good-quality snacks such as toasted
sandwiches with a choice of fillings, pork pies, scotch
eggs and sausages. To support its membership of the
Guild of Master Cellarmen, the pub serves a variety of
well-kept real ales. |
OPENING TIMES:
Bar:
Monday - Friday 11.00am - 9.30pm
DIRECTIONS:
Nearest tube Chancery Lane.
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