Ely Eel Trail

Artist: Elizabeth-Jane Grose
Location: Ely, Cambridgeshire

It is thought that Ely’s name relates to a time when the city was surrounded by marsh and its main trade was in eels. Eels are still caught in the River Ouse, and provided the inspiration behind the Ely Eel Trail – a series of works around the city by Elizabeth-Jane Grose that were commissioned by East Cambridgeshire District Council.

The trail starts at Oliver Cromwell’s House, with a circular bench inscribed with Mrs Cromwell’s recipe for stewed eel pie. In Cherry Hill Park an impressive eel hive (or trap) made from willow has been planted to form a tunnel that is big enough to walk through. In Jubilee Gardens an eel mosaic has been constructed from pieces of broken pottery excavated from the site. Nearby, eight stainless steel eel glaives (the spear-like tools used by fishermen to catch eels) have been erected in the shape of an octagon – echoing Ely Cathedral’s most famous architectural feature. Finally, the trail concludes at the Babylon Gallery where an etched glass door depicts the lifecycle of the eel. Throughout the trail are seventy brass way-markers engraved with pictures of eels, helping people to follow the route.

Building on Ely’s commitment to commissioning art, Commissions East developed a feasibility study for a lighting scheme for Ely Riverside. 'Sluice' by artist Lulu Quinn was launched in November 2007.