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Ely Cathedral, Cambridgeshire, England from the southeast. Photo by Verbcatcher.

10 Best Facts about Ely Cathedral

Ely Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in the city of Ely, Cambridgeshire, England. The church has its roots in AD 672 when St. Etheldreda built an abbey church. It is the only building in the United Kingdom that has been listed as one of the Seven Wonders of the Medieval World.

The cathedral is located in the University City of Cambridge. It is surrounded by beautiful parkland and meadows that are ideal for walks and picnics. The buildings in the cathedral are iconic hence it is a major tourist attraction.

Some television shows and films have been shot in the cathedral. The cathedral also holds several services in a day. Numerous people visit the cathedral annually to enjoy these features. Let us now look at the 10 Best Facts about Ely Cathedral.

1. It was started by Saint Etheldreda

Saint Etheldreda’s old hatfield plague. Photo by James Carrington. Wikimedia Commons.

St. Etheldreda founded the monastery in 673. She married one prince who later on died. Etheldreda went ahead to marry a second prince. She ended her marriage to him because she wanted to be a nun.

It has been assumed that the land on which she built the first monastery at Ely was given to her by her second husband. The shrine to honor Saint Etheldreda was destroyed in 1539. This was after King Henry’s orders to disband religious houses of worship. The order was called the Dissolution of the Monasteries.

2. Ely Cathedral is also known as ‘Ship of Fens’

The cathedral got this nickname because it was prominently shaped like a ship. Further, the landscape surrounding the cathedral is watery and flat. The fenland in East Anglia of which Ely is part was once wet and marshy.

Ely Cathedral is 573 feet long. The cathedral has a 250 feet long nave which is the central part of the church where people sit. It is also known as the ‘Cathedral Church of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Ely’.

3. It is one of the Seven Wonders of the Middle Ages

Ely Cathedral is the only building included in the Seven Wonders of the Middle Ages. It is praised for its humongous size and detailed stylistic designs. The cathedral has a Romanesque style and a highly decorative gothic style.

The cathedral received its status as a cathedral in 1109. It has a rich history and receives over 2500,000 visitors annually. The cathedral also still hosts morning and evening services daily.

4. It has featured in several films and television shows

Logo from the Netflix series, The Crown. Made with the serif Cardo, designed by David Perry and downloaded from Google Fonts. Photo by Geom.

In 2016, Ely  Cathedral was substituted for Westminster Abbey in the Netflix original series, The Crown. The film Macbeth used the cathedral for filming in February and March 2014.

A section of the film Elizabeth: The Golden Age was also short in the cathedral. An image of the cathedral features in the cover photo of Pink Floyd’s album The Division Bell of 1994. It was also part of a music video for a single from the album High Hopes.

5. Ely Cathedral continues to have resident choristers

Boys of the Ely Cathedral Choir performing in RAF Mildenhall Chapel. Photo by Airman st Class Brad Smith. .

Ely Cathedral is one of the few cathedrals that still have resident choristers. The cathedral has a boys’ choir that has 22 choristers. The choir conducts songs on Sundays, feast days, and at a Choral Evensong.

The girls’ choir has 18 girls. Every year, choirs from all over the world are invited to sing choral services at Ely Cathedral. Every Christmas the choir holds a traditional Christmas cantata where carousels are sung.

6. The cathedral has several medieval architectural styles

Since the cathedral had several phases of construction, it has multiple architectural styles. It has the Romanesque in the nave, Early English in the presbytery, Decorated in the tower, and the Lady Chapel and Perpendicular in the eastern chantry chapels. Ely Cathedral’s nave has three stories like most Romanesque and Gothic cathedrals. It has greatly informed architecture.

7. It was destroyed in the 9^th century

In 870, Ely Cathedral was destroyed and captured by the Danes. They made it part of Danelaw the Viking Kingdom. The buildings were burnt, and the inhabitants slaughtered or driven into the surrounding marshes.

Many things of value in the cathedral were destroyed. Later on, the Bishop of Winchester refounded the destroyed monastery as a Benedictine Abbey.  He hoped to restore religious lands after the Vikings’ rule.

8. There is a stained glass museum inside the cathedral

Stained glass in Ely Cathedral, Cambridgeshire, England. Photo by Simon Burchell.

The museum has a collection of stained glass from the 13^th century to the present. The collection is inclusive of works from several notable modern artists. The gallery displays over 125 stained glass panels.

They represent eight hundred years of the history of ancient art. The museum is located on the upper level of the cathedral. Temporary exhibitions are held throughout the year. Tickets to the museum can be purchased on entry.

9. The oldest thing in Ely Cathedral is Ovin’s Stone

Ovin’s Stone is found in the south aisle of the cathedral. Initially, it was St. Ovin’s Cross however the top part of it disappeared in 1770. James Bentham, a historian discovered the stone in the village of Haddenham. It was being used as a tying post for animals. He brought it back to Ely.

The stone is preserved and venerated. Saint Ovin was the steward of Saint Etheldreda who founded the monastery at Ely in 673. The engravings on the stone read, ‘Behold a faithful and wise steward whom the Lord shall make ruler over his household.’

10. It was designed by Simeon

“Sacrist’s Gate built in 1325-6 by the Sacrist Alan de Walsingham as an entrance to the Mason’s Yard and buildings of the Sacristy” – Sacrist’s Gate, High Street, Ely, Cambridgeshire, CB7 4JU. Photo by Spudgun67. Wikimedia Commons.

Simeon, a kinsman of William the Conqueror was named Abbot of Ely after the Norman invasion. He began rebuilding in 1083. The building became one of the elite examples of Romanesque architecture in England.

Alan of Walsingham designed the central tower when the tower collapsed in the 14^th century. During the Victorian period, Sir Gilbert Scott restored the beams that had been set up by Alan. He added restrained restoration work to the interior.