Ely Cathedral

Ely Cathedral, England's most awe-inspiring cathedral

Ely Cathedral is possibly England's most awe-inspiring cathedral. Visible from miles around across the flat fen country, it towers over the landscape and its nickname, The Ship of the Fens, is very apt. St Etheldreda founded a Benedictine monastery here in 673, on a clay island surrounded by boggy marshland, which was sacked by the Danes 200 years later. The new monastery became the center of resistance by Hereward the Wake against the Normans. In 1081, after the conquest, Abbot Simeon began the masterpiece of Romanesque architecture that is the cathedral we see today.

As you enter the cathedral, you look down the very long nave with its austere Romanesque arches and Victorian painted ceiling towards the centerpiece of the building, the unique octagonal lantern Tower built by Alan de Walsingham in 1322 to replace the collapsed central tower. The tallest oaks in England were used to support the 400 tons of glass and lead that form the starburst lantern, surrounded by stunning fan vaulting. The Lady Chapel, built at about the same time, also has an astonishing fan-vaulted and carved ceiling, although much of the carving and statuary within easier reach on the walls was defaced during the Reformation and Commonwealth. The choir bays are also of interest - when the central tower collapsed it fell on the choir and three of the bays were rebuilt at the same time as the octagon, in contrast with the much plainer early English style of the remainder. Both the Prior's Doorway and the Monks' Doorway boast lovely Romanesque sculptures. There is so much to be seen in this marvelous building that it is worth going out of your way to see it.

When visiting, check out the Lantern Tower, which is the Stained Glass Museum and Wicken Fen. You could reach Ely Cathedral by train or car from London, Cambridge or Norwich.