THE Old Bishop’s Palace, which has been King’s Ely’s Sixth Form since September last year, opened its doors to the public once again on Saturday (14) for Ely’s Heritage Open Day.
The school welcomed more than 200 visitors to the Old Palace, who enjoyed an illustrated talk on the history of the Tudor building, a guided tour of the main historical features and refreshments in the Old Palace’s refectory.
Visitors could also learn more about the prisoners held captive in the Palace in the 16th century during the exhibition Prisoners in the Palace, located in the Long Gallery, which is now the students’ Sixth Form Common Room.
Every year, Heritage Open Days give the public the chance to investigate their local heritage and to learn a little more about their community’s history.
Assistant Director of Sixth Form, Francis Young, commented: “We were delighted to welcome over 200 visitors, many of whom had been associated with the Old Palace in its earlier incarnations as a school for disabled children and a Sue Ryder Hospice. Guests said how impressed they were with King’s Ely’s sensitive restoration of the building, which includes modern features such as stylish lighting and biometric security while preserving the building’s ancient character.”
He added: “We intend to host tours of the Old Palace again during next year’s Heritage Open Day event, when we hope to welcome even more visitors.”