Jubilee Gardens

Jubilee Gardens is located at the popular Ely Riverside and provides the perfect link from the Riverside to the City Centre. The garden has open spaces for picnics and free play as well one of the five pieces of Eel Artwork. It also has a toddler play area, water feature and bandstand. There are bug hotels, bird boxes and log piles situated throughout the gardens.

The gardens have secured Green Flag status since 2005. The award is designed to recognise and reward standards of excellence and is recognition of the high quality green space that the gardens provide to the local community in East Cambridgeshire.


Play Area

The play area in the gardens include toddler and junior accessible play equipment. For further information on the play area, please see the following link to our Play Areas webpage:

Accessibility

All areas of Jubilee Gardens are easily accessible and can be enjoyed by all. The garden is flat with no steps and has hard paths around the site. The local Friends Group helped fund and build a raised flower bed for easier access for people with limited mobility and wheelchair users.

Friends of Jubilee Gardens

The Friends of Jubilee Gardens were formed in 2003 and provide continued public participation in developing and maintaining the gardens. The Friends also carry out fundraising activities and help to promote the gardens. Further details on the Friends Group can be found on the Friends of Jubilee Gardens website

Events

There are several events that take place at Jubilee Gardens throughout the year. There are riverside concerts from local bands during the summer months. These concerts are free of charge. For further information, please contact City of Ely Council.

The district’s Eel Festival centres in and around Jubilee Gardens. The popular festival includes a parade, Town Criers Competition and the World Eel Throwing Competition. There are also arena events which include folk music, eel pottery workshops, music and dancing, historical displays and re-enactments with lots of family participation opportunities. For further information on the Eel Festival, please see the Ely Eel Festival website

Aquafest is organised by the Rotary Club of Ely and is enjoyed by many visitors of all ages and interests. Aquafest covers three sites along the riverside – Jubilee Gardens, Lavender Green and the Maltings Green. The festival includes a fun fair, food and drink stalls and a miscellany of charity stalls. A major event is the Annual Raft Race on the River Ouse with numerous decorated rafts. For further information on the Aquafest, please see the Ely Aquafest website

Ely’s Eel Trail

Ely’s Eel Trail is a circular marked route throughout the city incorporating all of the major attractions and sights. The route passes through Jubilee Gardens connecting Ely Riverside with Ely Park and the city centre. Please see the Eel Trail booklet for further information. 

Facilities

The nearest public toilets are in Ship Lane car park, less than five minutes’ walk from the gardens. These public toilets offer extended opening hours in the summer. For further information, please see our facilities page. 

Transport

Travelling to Ely via public Transport:

There is a regular bus and train service which will bring you into Ely. The train station is located roughly a ten-minute walk away, following the riverside path heading towards the city. The main bus services terminal is located on Market Street in the hub of the city.

Travelling to Ely via car:

The main routes into Ely are via the A10 and A142. There are several car parks available in Ely City Centre, all of these offer free parking, except Angel Drove and The Dock Car Parks. Please see our car parking page for further information on these car parks. 

The gardens are easily accessible by bicycle and are part of the cycle network.

If using the 'What three words' location app, Jubilee Gardens is located at ///artichoke.lunged.dented

We hope you enjoy your visit and if you have any ideas to improve the site please let us know at East Cambridgeshire District Council on 01353 665555.