One of Ely’s most treasured attractions has been named a “hidden gem” by the national tourism agency.
Oliver Cromwell’s House was assessed under Visit England’s Visitor Attraction Quality Scheme and signified by the Quality Rose Marque before being highlighted in a list of special attractions.
It is the second time that the House has won the Hidden Gem award and the assessor said the accolade was testament to the “high standards achieved” and the attraction  “was truly deserving of recognition“.
Since its last assessment, the attraction, which also houses the Tourist Information Centre, has made further improvements to its offer by the introduction of The Escape Rooms experiences, new bespoke merchandise in the Gift Shop, a dedicated website and a creative approach to social media.

Councillor Richard Hobbs, chairman of the Commercial Services Committee at East Cambridgeshire District Council, said: “Oliver Cromwell House is a superb place to visit and fully deserves to be awarded the Visit England’s Hidden Gem award once again.  
“The House is the only surviving residence of Oliver Cromwell, other than Hampton Court, and therefore is of significant historic interest.  I am very pleased that the experts at Visit England have recognised the huge lengths that the team have gone to in order to continue to add value to the visitor’s experience.
“Tourism is vital to East Cambridgeshire and accolades such as these continue to drive our district’s reputation even higher as a key tourist destination.”
 
The Hidden Gem award is awarded to attractions across the UK which offer innovative, interesting or unique tourist experiences.