A Dog-Friendly Weekend in Ely
Ely is the kind of place that announces itself before you arrive. The cathedral rises from the flat Fenland landscape like something that got separated from a much larger city and simply decided to stay. From the train, from the A10, from practically any direction across the fens, it is the first thing you see — and it sets the tone for a city that is quietly remarkable for its size.
The dog-friendly credentials are equally understated. Independent shops welcome dogs inside. A riverside tearoom pulls the whole group indoors. And around nine miles from Ely, Wicken Fen — the National Trust's first nature reserve and one of the last remaining fragments of undrained fenland in Britain — offers a full day of wide skies and genuine wildlife. The weekend has a clear shape: a gentle Friday arrival, a Saturday spent at Wicken, and a Sunday that belongs to the cathedral quarter before you head home. The full Ely directory is at The Dog Friendly Map.
Arriving in Ely
Ely sits just off the A10 and is served directly by train from London King's Cross and Cambridge, which makes it an easy destination to reach without much planning. The train approach in particular is worth mentioning: the cathedral appears across the open fen well before you pull into the station, which is a better arrival than most cities manage.
Friday works best as breathing space. The historic cathedral city is compact and easy to get your bearings in quickly, but there is no urgency to programme the evening. If you want somewhere to settle in for dinner with the dog, The Prince Albert is the obvious choice — Ely's Town Top Pick for a reason. Dogs are welcome in the bar area, food is served there too, and the kitchen runs Monday to Friday from noon until 3pm and again from 5pm to 9pm, with all-day service on Saturday. It is a proper local rather than a destination dining room, which is exactly what Friday evening usually calls for.
Saturday: Wicken Fen
Wicken Fen National Nature Reserve is the main event. First acquired by the National Trust in 1899, it was the organisation's first nature reserve and remains one of the last remaining fragments of undrained fenland — the kind of wet, reedy, horizontally vast landscape that once covered most of East Anglia before the drainage engineers arrived. It has been carefully managed ever since to keep the fen alive rather than let it dry out and disappear.
What that means in practice is a place that feels genuinely different. Open water catches the light across a landscape that is almost entirely sky. Marsh harriers, dragonflies and Konik ponies — a semi-wild herd that grazes the fen as part of the conservation work — give the reserve its character across the seasons. It is not a quick circuit; it rewards a full day.
Dogs are welcome on miles of paths around Baker's Fen, Adventurers' Fen and Burwell Fen, and should remain on the paths under close control throughout. However, dogs other than assistance dogs are not permitted on Sedge Fen, which includes the Boardwalk, the woodland walk and the summer nature trail. Check the National Trust website for current access details and any seasonal trail conditions before you visit.
After the reserve, if you need somewhere to sit down properly, the Maids Head is a traditional thatched pub in Wicken village where dogs are welcome inside including the bar and dining areas. Food is served Wednesday to Sunday, with times varying by day. Check your route between the reserve and the village rather than assuming they are immediately adjacent.
Sunday: The Cathedral Quarter
Ely's high street and cathedral precinct make a natural cluster for a Sunday morning. The area is compact and the dog-friendly credentials are better than you might expect.
The independent shops are a good place to start. Topping & Company Booksellers is a large independent bookshop where dogs are welcome inside — a detail that turns a browse into a proper stop rather than a lead-handover moment at the door. The Eel Catcher's Daughter is an independent gift and accessories shop where dogs are equally welcome, and the name earns a moment's attention: Ely's identity is bound up with eels, which were historically so central to the local economy that the city's name is thought to derive from the Old English for 'eel district'. Whether that etymology is entirely settled is another matter, but the shop wears it well. Cow on the Ice rounds out the cluster — a gift and lifestyle shop with its own resident French Bulldog, which tends to make the welcome feel authentic rather than merely permitted.
It is worth knowing that well-behaved dogs on leads are welcome inside Ely Cathedral itself, not only the shop. Some tours and events have restrictions, so it is worth checking before you plan a specific visit. The Ely Cathedral Shop is also accessible without a Cathedral admission ticket, making it an easy stop while you are in the precinct.
For a sit-down pause, Peacocks Tearoom sits by the river and welcomes dogs inside including the indoor seating area — the whole group can settle in together for tea, coffee and home-cooked food. The tearoom is open Wednesday to Sunday from 9:30am, with last orders at 4:30pm and closing at 5pm. It is confirmed for lunch and makes a natural end point for the morning before you make your way home.
Food and Drink: What the Directory Holds
Ely has more dog-friendly indoor dining than its size suggests, and the options below sit outside the weekend sequence — useful reference points for wherever you find yourself hungry.
The Yard by Silver Oak welcomes dogs throughout, with breakfast, brunch and lunch available most days and dinner served Wednesday to Saturday evenings. The kitchen runs from 9am Wednesday to Sunday, with the venue closed on Mondays — the most versatile option in the city for anyone building a day around it.
Griddle Bar and Meat House is a central steakhouse and brunch spot where dogs are welcome inside throughout. The kitchen opens at 9am Tuesday to Saturday and 10am on Sunday, running through to early evening — useful for a late breakfast or a proper sit-down meal.
The Lamb is a central pub where dogs are welcome inside including the dining area, on leads. The kitchen opens at 7am seven days a week, which makes it the most practical option for early starters, with food running through to 9pm or later depending on the day.
On the High Street, GAIL's Bakery welcomes dogs inside on leads — paws off the furniture and away from the display counters — making it a decent coffee-and-pastry stop in the cathedral quarter. On Broad Street, Prosper is a plant-based coffee shop where dogs are welcome inside; resident dogs Eric and Betty occasionally make an appearance. It is primarily a daytime café, so plan accordingly. The full list is at the cafés and restaurants directory.
If Your Dog Needs a Proper Run: Secure Fields Near Ely
Ely has an unusually strong cluster of bookable secure dog fields, which is worth knowing if you are travelling with a reactive dog or simply want guaranteed off-lead time without the uncertainty of open spaces.
Cathedral View Dog Park offers two fully enclosed paddocks with six-foot fencing, splash areas, obstacles and shelter, with private parking on site and a location just over a mile from the town centre. Ely Dog Field in Little Downham runs exclusive-use sessions with shelter, water bowls and a secure car park, just over two miles from Ely centre. Ely Dog Park at Ben's Yard is a two-acre paddock with six-foot fencing, bookable in 25 or 55-minute slots for up to twelve dogs by arrangement — you receive an access code before arrival.
If you want the most space, Ely Dogs Activity Meadows offers eight acres of secure private fields with automatic gates, in-field parking and a dog wash station with shampoo on site. After a day at Wicken Fen, that last detail may feel more relevant than it seemed when you were booking. All four are bookable online; the full list is at the dog fields directory.
Ely is a weekend that works without much orchestration. The train line takes care of the logistics, the cathedral quarter repays a slow Sunday morning, and Wicken Fen is the kind of place that makes a whole day feel well spent. Everything you need to plan the full trip is at the Ely town page.
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Price correct as of 20 July 2026.
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