Old Fire Engine House

The Old Fire Engine House Gallery became an exhibition space in 1968. The house was built in the mid-18th Century, as a domestic dwelling. The three-storey, yellow-gault brick house was used to house Ely's horse-drawn fire engine from the end of the 19th century. A photograph of the original horse-drawn fire engine and firefighters from 1906 still hangs over the log fire in the bar area today as a reminder of the building's historical use.

In the summer of 1968, Ann Jarman and two friends opened The Old Fire Engine House as a restaurant and gallery. Since then, the gallery has been exhibiting established and emerging artists with a dedicated gallery space on the first floor featuring large windows overlooking Ely Cathedral and Palace Green. It hosts an extensive and changing selection of contemporary work for sale, extending throughout the entire house. Artists who exhibited at the Gallery include John Bolam, Anne Paterson Wallace, Daphne Henrion and Valerie Thornton.

Image(s) below (click to enlarge):