What is unique about Ely cathedral?

It is the seat of the Bishop of Ely and a suffragan bishop, the Bishop of Huntingdon. Architecturally, it is outstanding both for its scale and stylistic details. Having been built in a monumental Romanesque style, the galilee porch, lady chapel and choir were rebuilt in an exuberant Decorated Gothic.

What architectural styles are represented in the Ely cathedral?

Late Romanesque and Early English Gothic.

What are the two main types of cathedrals and what are they like in the Middle Ages?

Early medieval architects built cathedrals in the Romanesque style, and then later (beginning about 1100 AD) they built cathedrals in the Gothic style. You’ll find some examples of Romanesque and Gothic cathedrals on the Romanesque and Gothic pages.

How many steps Ely Cathedral?

There are 288 steps up to the top of the West Tower where there are wonderful views of the city of Ely. Visiting Ely Cathedral is one of the top things to do in Cambridgeshire. Around 250,000 people visit the cathedral each year.

What is inside a cathedral?

The typical cathedral contains a narthex at the entrance, three aisles with the central being the nave, a transept that gives the church its cross shape, an open choir where the nave and transept meet, and an apse at the far end of the nave, containing the altar.

What does the inside of a cathedral look like?

What is the inside shape of a cathedral?

Most cathedrals are built in the shape of a cross. The main entrance is at the west end at the bottom of the cross. There is a long central aisle called the nave and two side aisles. The arms of the cross are the transepts and meet the nave at the crossing.

What is Ely Cathedral famous for?

Highly regarded by historians and architects from all over the world for its beauty and size, Ely Cathedral is the only UK building to be listed as one of the “Seven Wonders of the Middle Ages”. Visible for miles around, the Cathedral is often referred to as “The Ship of the Fens”.

How did Ely get its name?

In Etheldreda’s time, Ely was an island surrounded by marshes (drained later, in the seventeenth century), and the place takes its name from the eels that dwelled in these swampy waters. Inscribed paving stone marking the original tomb of Saint Etheldreda, Ely Cathedral, photo: Steven Zucker CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

What films have been filmed in Ely?

Most recently Ely has become a prominent film location for some epic films including Elizabeth: The Golden Age, The Other Boleyn Girl and The King’s Speech. Ely Cathedral is located in the centre of this historic city and is surrounded by mediaeval monastic buildings, parkland and meadows.

What is the Isle of Ely?

It is visible from many miles away like a lone ship on a calm sea. Ely’s history began in the seventh century, when an Anglo-Saxon princess named Æthelthryth, or Etheldreda, made a holy vow of virginity. When she was married for political reasons, she fled her husband and founded a nunnery on the Isle of Ely.