The heart of London is full of strange old places with unusual names and odd stories, but there is one place that for a very long time was not a true part of London at all.  Ely Place, just to the north of Holborn Circus, was until relatively recently considered to be a part of Cambridgeshire.  For centuries, it was an enclave – an area of land physically located in the City of London but not under its jurisdiction.  Instead, it was privately owned by the Bishops of Ely, and even today the street has its own gatehouse and beadles.

Continue reading “Ely Place: a street in central London that used to be part of Cambridgeshire” →