Ely, Cardiff

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Ely, Welsh name Trelái, is a district and community in Cardiff, Wales. It lies north of Cowbridge Road West and is bordered by Caerau to the south and the River Ely to the east.

History and character
Ely has ancient roots, with a Roman villa near the old racecourse and possible iron smelting. A Roman road may have linked Cardiff Fort to the east. Ely Racecourse began around 1855; its grandstand burned in 1937 and the racecourse closed in 1939. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Ely was mainly farmland, but housing grew after World War I to provide homes for people moving from inner-city slums.

In the Victorian era, the Ely Industrial School on Cowbridge Road East housed pauper children from 1863. The site later became Ely Lodge, and nearby facilities were developed over time. The land was once owned by the Earl of Plymouth, who restricted alcohol sales on the estate. Ely Hospital, a large psychiatric hospital, faced abuse inquiries in the 1960s and closed in 1996. In recent decades, Ely has faced social and crime challenges, though residents emphasize a strong, close-knit community.

Transport and services
The main road through Ely is Cowbridge Road West (the A48), which connects to Canton and Cardiff city centre to the east and Culverhouse Cross to the west. Grand Avenue links the northern estates. Cardiff Bus routes 17 and 18 run every 10 minutes from Wood Street, with route 13 also serving Ely; additional routes such as 96 to Barry and C1 to Culverhouse Cross pass through the area. The nearest railway station is Waun-gron Park in Fairwater; Ely railway station closed in 1962.

Governance and living
Ely is both a ward and a community in the City of Cardiff. It has no separate community council and is part of the Cardiff West constituency for both the UK Parliament and the Welsh Parliament. It is bordered by Fairwater, Caerau, Culverhouse Cross, and the Vale of Glamorgan. All three council seats in Ely are held by the Labour Party.

Shopping and amenities
Ely has several shopping parades. Large supermarkets are near Cowbridge Road West on Treseder Way; smaller shops line Wilson Road and Grand Avenue, with more stores in nearby Caerau.