Ely Cathedral

Ely Cathedral is one of England’s architectural masterpieces, made all the more stunning by its location in the fens of north Cambridgeshire, such that it can be seen rising majestically from its flat surroundings from many miles away.

The name “Ely” means “eel island”, and it was indeed an island when first settled by monks led by St Ethelreda in the 7^th century. The first abbey was destroyed by the Danes in the late 9^th century and only rebuilt as a Benedictine monastery in 970.

The present cathedral is Norman in origin, its construction having begun in 1083. William the Conqueror had experienced considerable resistance in this area, notably provided by the semi-legendary figure of Hereward the Wake who took advantage of his local knowledge of routes through the marshy fens to mount a guerrilla campaign against the Normans. William’s response was to build structures that would cow the locals into recognising his regime’s superiority, and Ely Cathedral was one such building.

The cathedral took several centuries to complete, with long periods of inactivity dividing the building of various parts, so the architectural styles that can be seen today include Romanesque, Early English Gothic and Decorated Gothic. The cathedral in its present form was virtually complete by 1340, with only minor changes and restorations taking place since then.

The west front is one of the earliest parts, and is a fine example of a Norman façade, although very unusual in its design. Ely Cathedral was originally built with two pairs of transepts, the second pair being at the west end with a tower rising between them. This arrangement is unique to cathedrals in Britain.

However, three major changes were made later, two of them by design and the third by accident. In the 13^th century a large two-storeyed Galilee porch was added in front of the tower. In the 14^th century the height of the tower was increased by the addition of an octagon flanked by four octagonal turrets. In the 15^th century one of the transepts collapsed and was never rebuilt. This therefore gives the otherwise impressive front a curiously lop-sided appearance.

The nave of the cathedral was built between 1110 and 1130 and is therefore Romanesque in style. It is long and narrow, and the three stages of arcade, tribune and clerestory are perfectly proportioned to lead the eye upwards. Unfortunately, there is no stone vault but a wooden ceiling that was painted in the 19^th century and is something of a disappointment.

However, this is forgiven and forgotten when the visitor reaches the crossing and encounters one of the most splendid features of any cathedral anywhere, namely the Ely Octagon. The original central tower, built in 1100, collapsed in 1322. This was not unusual in medieval cathedrals, as they tended to be built with thousands of tons of stone resting on inadequate supports.

At Ely, the decision was made not to rebuild the tower as it had been but to create something that was wholly original. Due to the damage caused by the falling tower, which also destroyed part of the choir, the opportunity was taken to widen the crossing and erect the Gothic equivalent of the Classical dome. The octagon is of stone but its vaults do not bridge the complete gap, which at 69 feet in diameter would have structurally impossible. Instead, at the centre rises a lantern which is built of wood with external lead facings.

To build the lantern, eight massive oak beams, each 63 feet long and more than three feet thick, were erected, being supported on hammer-beams. The glass around the lantern lets in shafts of light that illuminate the centre of the crossing and create an amazing effect as one walks underneath. Looking up, one sees a perfect 8-pointed star, brightly lit on a fine day, in the roof of the lantern. The construction can best be appreciated on closer inspection, which can be done via a guided tour of the octagon.

Although the lantern as seen today is the result of extensive restoration by George Gilbert Scott in the mid-19^th century, he stuck very closely to the original design.

At the east end on the cathedral is the choir which dates mainly from the 13^th century, being an extension of the original small Norman choir. This is work of the very highest quality, beautifully proportioned and with splendid ornamentation, especially at the tribune level. Unlike the nave, the choir is stone vaulted with ribs soaring upwards to meet in carved bosses at the apex.

The Lady Chapel at Ely is of interest for being the largest in England and having the widest medieval vault in the country, at 46 feet. It was begun in 1321, the building being almost detached from the main cathedral, but work was interrupted by the tower falling the following year and it was not completed until 1373. What is seen today is far removed from how it would have looked before the Reformation, as the building was devoted to the life story of the Virgin Mary, with brightly painted carvings, and this was anathema to the Protestants who removed virtually all the decoration to leave only foliage carvings.

Another victim of Protestant zeal was the shrine of St Etheldreda, which was destroyed in 1541, with only an engraved slate marking its location.

One 17^th century bishop was Matthew Wren, whose young nephew, Christopher, designed a Gothic-style door on the north side of the cathedral. It is interesting to speculate that perhaps the replacement of a tower with an octagon was part of the inspiration for designing a dome for the new St Paul’s Cathedral, where a massive tower had been a feature of the old one.

Ely Cathedral is one of England’s “must-see” cathedrals, alongside others in eastern England, notably Norwich, Peterborough and Lincoln. It will always retain its ability to impress on first sight as the “ship of the fens” hoves into view.

© John Welford