Ely Cathedral

One of the prominent features in the Norman conquest of England after 1066 was the replacement of Anglo-Saxon churches by new buildings of unseen splendour. In Ely (Cambridgeshire) a huge cathedral was erected in the 11th and 12th century above an older monastic building which preserved the shrine of St Etheldreda, the pious daughter of a 7th century Anglo-Saxon king.

The west façade

Mostly built in the 12th century but completed in the late 14th century, the imposing west tower stands 66 m in height.

The Prior's Door

Carved doorway from the 12th century connecting the nave with the cloister.

The Prior's Door, tympanum

The tympanum from the 1130s depicts Christ in Majesty in a mandorla carried by angels.

The nave

The nave was built in the early 12th century. The nave ceiling was part of the Victorian restoration. Painted, wooden panels were installed in 1858-65, emulating an imagined medieval look.

The elevation of the nave

The Octagon and the nave towards the west façade

In 1322 the Norman crossing tower came down with a bang and was replaced by this extraordinary 400-tons octagonal lantern, one of the gems of gothic architecture (23 m wide and 52 m high, internally 43 m high). The romanesque nave, with its Victorian decoration, is with 75 m the longest in England.

The choir

The easternmost part of the choir was built between 1234 and 1252, as an extension of the original 11th-century Romanesque choir. The style became more elaborate with complex rib (tierceron) vaults.

The choir

The style in the choir became more elaborate with complex rib (tierceron) vaults. The creation of an ambulatory made it easier for pilgrims to visit the shrine of St Etheldreda.

Choir, octagonal lantern and nave

Following the collapse of the central tower in 1322 the first three bays of the original Romanesque choir had to be rebuilt. The decorative style was still more elaborate than the rest of the choir, now including ogee tracery and net-like patterned (lierne) vaults. The contrast with the simplicty of the Norman nave couldn't be more pronounced.

The Octagon, choir and transept

The transept is the oldest surviving part of the cathedral.

The Octagon and the nave

In 1322 the Norman crossing tower came down with a bang and was replaced by this unique 400-tons octagonal lantern, one of the gems of gothic architecture (23 m wide and 52 m high, internally 43 m high).