MuseumFromHome: Ely Castle

If you visited Ely around 950 years ago, you would find a castle built to defend the Isle of Ely. The castle was probably built by King William I, otherwise known as William the Conqueror!

Find out more about the castle and have fun with castle-themed crafts with this weeks #MuseumFromHome with Ely Museum.

Over on Facebook, we're making our own castle alongside a knight and a bow & arrow to defend it too!

Learn more about Ely Castle and two of the important figures in its history, William I and Hereward the Wake! Next time you visit Cherry Hill park, see if you can see the mound that some historians and archaeologists believe was the site of the castle.

Hereward the Wake also needs your help in recruiting more rebels to help him defend the Isle of Ely, so help him by designing your own persuasive poster here

This great video from the YouTube channel 'A long, long time ago...' also tells the story of Hereward the Wake & the rebellion at Ely - thank you Jasmine for allowing us to share your great video!

Heraldry is the name for the creation and design of a coat of arms. Coats of arms first appear in the medieval period. They were created to represent important families or organisations. Usually printed inside a shield shape they use images and colours to make a unique design. We still use coats of arms today; you might see them on buildings or on television. Can you think of places in Ely where you have seen a coat of arms?

Learn more about heraldry here & then have a go at designing your own coat of arms!