Ely is a town in the district of Cardiff in South Wales. Located 3.8 miles from the centre of Cardiff, the town, in Roman times, was the site of a Roman Villa. Ely once boasted a racecourse, which opened in 1855 and closed in 1939. The A48, Cowbridge Road is the main road running through the town and continues on to Cardiff city centre.
Serving a large area of the south west of Cardiff is the Ely library which is located at the Cowbridge West Road junction.
There are many public houses in the area including The Railway Inn and the Culverhouse Hotel. Glamorgan Wanderers Rugby Football Club Clubhouse is also located in the town as well as many other social clubs.
But Ely is also renowned for its association with the round ball – for Ryan Giggs, probably the Premier Leagues' and Manchester United's most famous footballer was born in the town of Ely.