Ely Cathedral
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Before the drainage of the Fens, Ely was an island in the midst of the marshland. In the seventh century St Ethelreda, queen of Northumbria, founded an abbey here, later occupied by the Benedictines. The present building was begun by Simeon, the first Norman abbot, in 1083, and by 1109, when the bishopric of Ely was founded, the eastern part was complete. The western half was completed in 1180-90. In 1322 the Norman crossing tower collapsed. Unlike other churches where this happened - as it did not infrequently - the cathedral was not given a new spire but a unique stone octagon surmounted by an octagonal timber lantern. The new structure, completed in 1342, is of remarkable harmony and beauty.
Official site:
www.elycathedral.org
Address:
South Triforium, Ely CB7 4DL, England
Opening hours:
May 1 to Sep 30: 7am-7pm
Oct 1 to Mar 31: 7:30am-6pm; Sun: 7:30am-5pm
Oct 1 to Mar 31: 7:30am-6pm; Sun: 7:30am-5pm
Entrance fee in GBP:
Adult £5.50, Concession or reduced rate £4.70
Disability Access: Full facilities for persons with disabilities.
Guides: Guided tour included with admission.
Facilities: Gift shop, Restaurant or food service
Ely Cathedral Highlights
Interior
On entering the cathedral through the beautiful west doorway the visitor's first impression is of the astonishing lightness of the 248ft/76m-long nave, typically Norman in style though it is. This is due to the elaborate articulation of the 12 bays, and also perhaps to the painted ceiling, a 19th century addition. The Octagon (radius 82ft/25m) supported by 16 oak trunks, the only structure of its kind in England, is as impressive from the inside as from the exterior. The Norman southwest transept serves as the baptistery. St Edmund's Chapel contains a wall painting from about 1200 and a beautiful 15th century screen, both restored. The choir has three elegant Decorated bays at the west end. The 59 misericords of the choir stalls (1342) have mostly been renewed. Behind the choir is the chapel (1486-1500) built by Bishop Alcock, patron of Porterhouse and founder of Jesus College, Cambridge. The Lady Chapel, an admirable example of the Decorated style, contains sculptured scenes from the life of the Virgin, with hundreds of now headless statuettes. In the north gallery is a museum of stained glass.
Buildings
The surviving conventual buildings of Ely Cathedral are occupied by the King's School, among them the beautiful Prior Crauden's Chapel and the Queen's Hall. The vicarage of St Mary's Church was occupied by Oliver Cromwell and his family from 1636-1647.
Stained Glass Museum
In the main body of Ely Cathedral are excellent examples of 19th C stained glass. The stained glass museum contains more than 100 original panels dating from 1240 to the present. (Back-lit and at eye-level).
Ely Cathedral Pictures
