Ely Cathedral

I am not one to spend lots of time in places of worship but this one was quite special. Outside Cambridge in a small town, is the splendid Ely Cathedral. This must have been a town of differing numbers and population then, to what it is today, because its proportions and grandness talks of an erstwhile significance.
It was founded as a monastery in 637 by St Etheldreda.A wonderful name for a saxon princess.
It was refounded as a benedictine community in 907 and it became a Cathedral, the seat of a Bishop in 1109.

It continues as a cathedral to this day and if ever you are in the area you should definitely mark it down as a sight worth seeing. It has the only stained glass museum in the UK and it houses a wonderful collection of stained glass from monasteries, churches and buildings all over the country.

The entrance to the cathedral is impressive with its big wooden doors that lead to a 12th century hall and then to the uninterrupted view of the Nave one of the most inspiring in England.

The ceiling was painted in Victorian times and shows the ancestry of Jesus from Adam. It is the most magnificent sight and a mirror placed in the middle of the Cathedral not only enlarges the paintings when you look into it but also gives you a total view of it.

The massive doors                                                                                                   

A detail from the paintings

Ely has the largest collection in Europe of medieval monastic buildings which are still in domestic use and we spent some time wandering around the almonry, the infirmary, and the Bishop's house which are historic buildings in their own right.

In 1322 the Norman central tower collapsed and in its place this octagonal lantern was built which was a wonder of medieval engineering. You cannot help but admire and be aware of the greatness of the persons whose faith and commitment created the various parts of this impressive Cathedral.