We had never been to the beautiful city of Ely before, so what better excuse did we have, than visiting family and taking a weekend break to have a look round and explore.
Ely Cathedral, a stunning masterpiece of medieval architecture, stands proudly in the heart of Cambridgeshire. Known for its impressive octagonal tower and breathtaking stained glass windows, this historic site has captivated visitors for centuries.
Whether you’re a history buff, an architecture enthusiast, or simply looking for a charming day out, Ely Cathedral offers something for everyone. Join us as we explore the rich history, fascinating stories, and hidden gems of this remarkable landmark, and discover why it deserves a spot on your travel bucket list.
We went to visit my cousin Louise and her family, my cousin Jonathan and his wife Karen and my Auntie Sue, who I haven’t seen for far too long. It was really lovely to see them all, as it has been a few years since we’d all seen each other.
We booked a small cottage that was a 5 minute walk from the town centre and the cathedral. It was perfect as we didn’t have to worry about parking as everything was just a short walk away.
My cousin Louise had booked us all on a tour at the cathedral, to go up the fabulous Octagon Tower. Louise works in the cathedral, in the National Stained Glass Museum, so she was a perfect guide for looking around the magnificent cathedral.
We were also really lucky to go while the cathedral was hosting an exhibition by the sculptor Sean Henry, which was incredible.
The City of Ely
Ely is Cathedral City which is in East Cambridgeshire, just north east of Cambridge. It’s a small city and has a rough population of about 19,000 people, which makes it one of the smallest cities in England.
The name Ely apparently comes from an Anglo Saxon word “Eilig” which means Isle of Eels.
When Ely was surrounded by water and marshy lands, there were many eels in Ely, and so it was given the name Isle of Eels.
Indeed eels are still readily available at some of the local restaurants, where you can have delicacies such as smoked eels, eel stew and even eel pie.
Did you know that Ely used to be an island, which was separated from the mainland by 4 rivers? The Witham, Welland, Nene and the River Great Ouse.
In the 18th Century the area was drained and became rich, fertile farmland. Before that it was only accessible by boat.
Ely is still known today as the Isle of Ely, with the River Great Ouse running through it.
Ely Cathedral
Ely Cathedral can be dated right back to Norman times in 1083 and was officially classified as a cathedral in 1109. It was built of stone from Northamptonshire, which was said to have been paid for with 8,000 eels a year !! The Cathedral is distinctive as it is shaped like a cross and is 164 metres from end to end.
Did you know that it took nearly 300 years to finish building the Cathedral, known as the “Ship of the Fens”, and it is listed as one of the “Seven Wonders of the Medieval World” !!
The Cathedral has appeared in a couple of films too The Golden Age, The Other Boleyn Girl and The King’s Speech.
It has a 14th Century Lady Chapel and the fabulous Octagon Tower.
You can take tours up the West Tower and the Octagon Tower, which are definitely worth doing for the views of the city.
The Cathedral is a Christian church and still offers daily worship and is seat to the Bishop of Ely. It has about 250,000 visitors each year.
There are lots of events at the Cathedral too, from silent discos to meeting Rick Astley, history clubs and Christmas wreath making.
Tour of the Octagon Tower
The Octagon Tower was built after the original square Norman tower collapsed in 1322. It was decided to replace it with an Octagon shape, with a wooden lantern situated above.
It was said they chose an Octagon shape as this signified the eighth day, the time beyond our seven days.
The lantern is made out of timber and this apparently wouldn’t be possible today, as the trees are now, not tall enough for such a large structure.
All the panels on the wooden lantern are painted with angels and all can be opened up, so that choirs can climb up, open the doors and sing like angels from above. Which I bet sounds amazing.
The rebuild of the tower took about eighteen years and was completed in 1342 and is an amazing piece of medieval craftsmanship, sitting about 60 feet above the cathedral floor.
We met our tour guide at the bottom of the stairs and she gave us a little talk before we went up. We were really excited to go up onto the roof to have a look over the city.
We were told not to go up if we had a fear of heights or a fear of enclosed spaces and this would become abundantly clear as we walked up the 170 spiral stairs to the top of the Octagon Tower.
We climbed up the first part of the stairs to the first floor where we were asked to put all of our bags in a locked cabinet and then we climbed up to the next floor, which was where the painted Angel Doors that make up the wooden lantern are.
The spiraling staircases that lead to the roof are very narrow with very small steps, so it was good to have different levels to stop at while we were going up.
Our guide opened up two of the ornate angel doors so that we could look down into the heart of the Cathedral and the altar. We had stunning views of the ceilings in the Cathedral from here.
We then climbed further to the flat roof and looked out onto the sides of the Cathedral and part of Ely.
Then it was up further still onto the roof and wow, what magnificent views of the city.
It was amazing to see all the architecture of the Cathedral up close too. It really has some stunning, incredible architecture.
You can also take a tour to the top of the West Tower which is 288 steps and gives you the most glorious views of Ely.
National Stained Glass Museum
After we had been up the Tower we went to have a look at where Louise works, in the National Stained Glass Museum.
Ely Cathedral has over one hundred stained glass windows. They are themed from stories from the Old and New Testaments.
Did you know that the art of Stained Glass goes as far back as 1300 years?
The National Stained Glass Museum can be found within the cathedral, in the south nave triforium and is the only museum in England to just feature stained glass.
There are over 100 examples of stained glass in the museum and their history spans over 800 years. The oldest is from the 13th Century.
We loved looking around at the oldest windows and the new modern ones.
The panels are all displayed at eye level so that you can get the best possible view of them. Some have lights behind that you can switch on and off so that you can see how the stained glass is made and put together.
The staff at the museum run workshops, talks, tours and family activities all through the year, so definitely worth a visit while you are at the Cathedral.
Sean Henry Sculptures
We were so lucky to have visited the Cathedral while they were showing an exhibition by the sculptor Sean Henry.
The exhibit was called “Am I my brother’s keeper?” and consisted of 28 figures scattered in and around the cathedral. The exhibition explores “what it is to be human”.
The figures were made of polychrome in different shapes and sizes and were placed in unusual places and were absolutely delightful and great fun to find.
The figures were so realistic in different poses and positions. They all look vaguely familiar but were not meant to represent anyone in particular. We all tried to guess who we thought they most resembled.
There were even some giant figures outside of the Cathedral which everyone enjoyed talking selfies with.
They were made to convey the vulnerability, strength and resilience that we all have inside us.
Ely city centre
Ely has a gorgeous bustling city centre. It has some amazing buildings and a twice weekly market that sells the most amazing local arts and crafts, produce and take away food.
Our favourite was a stall called Wrapunzel which sold roast dinner wraps to take away. The roast dinners were put in a giant yorkshire pudding and then wrapped around so you can eat it all in one go. Plenty of choices to be had, and of course, the usual trimmings of gravy, horseradish and apple sauce.
It was simply delicious.
Oliver Cromwell
One of the most famous residents of Ely was Oliver Cromwell.
Just by the entrance to the Cathedral you can visit the house that used to belong to Oliver Cromwell. He inherited the house from his mother’s brother, Sir Thomas Steward in 1636. He lived there as a tax collector and a governor of the Thomas Parsons Charity until 1646.
But who was Oliver Cromwell? He was an English Statesman, a politician and a great military leader. He is a very important figure in our History.
See: Cromwell’s Bridge, History Over The River Hodder, Lancashire
After the death of King Charles 1 in 1649, which led to England becoming a Commonwealth. Oliver Cromwell was offered the chance to become King but turned it down and instead became Lord Protector until his death in 1658.
The River Great Ouse
On our last day in Ely we met with Louise and took a walk along the riverbank of the River Great Ouse. It was lovely to watch all of the different boats going past, from speedboats to canal barges.
Everyone was loving walking along the river taking in the breathtaking views. There was also a brass band playing in the bandstand on the green by the river, serenading us as we walked past.
The River Great Ouse runs through Ely and it is the longest of all the British Ouse rivers. It flows through Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire. It is said to be the fifth longest river in Britain.
It was originally used for transportation of goods but now is used by leisure boats and barges. There are many bars and cafes along the river where you can sit and watch the boats sailing past.
It’s also great for fishing where you can catch beams and trench and it said you can even catch pike here.
Conclusion
We absolutely loved our trip to Ely and our tour of the Cathedral. It was so lovely catching up with family and what a gorgeous city to explore.
Ely is such a beautiful place and lovely to walk around. The town has some fantastic boutiques and the market was brilliant. The river is a great place to walk along and there are many bars alongside the river to stop and have a refreshing drink.
The Cathedral, of course, dominates the skyline of the city town centre and is definitely the focal point. It really is such a nice, peaceful spot to sit and think and watch the world go by, a stunning backdrop to such a lovely city. Ely Cathedral is definitely somewhere you should put on your list to go and visit.
Whether you love architecture, stained glass or exploring history or simply want to visit a tranquil place of reflection, the cathedral has something for everyone. We are very much looking forward to visiting again.
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