When was ely cathedral built

Make a donation More options. Support Us. How we use your support. Learn More. History and Heritage. Home About History and Heritage. Ely was an island until years ago, when work started to drain the Fens freshwater marshes surrounding the city to create the fertile farmland we see today.

Ely is the second smallest city in England. The small town grew up around the monastery and Cathedral which dominated the Isle of Ely for centuries. Its graceful Norman nave is among the longest in England, with a remarkable 19th century painted ceiling. The West Tower was completed c The 14th century Octagon tower and its unique wooden lantern is considered one of the wonders of the medieval world.

Ely has had a choir school for boys since the 10th century. Previous page Safeguarding Contacts. Next page St. Strictly necessary cookies These are cookies that are required for the operation of our website.

It got this nickname because of its prominent shape as well as the fact that the landscape surrounding the cathedral is flat and watery. In February a part of the building collapsed. When it was redesigned for the rebuilding of the damaged part, it included an octagon shaped tower.

The shrine to honor Saint Etheldreda was destroyed in Henry the 8th disbanded several types of religious houses of worship in what was called Dissolution of the Monasteries. The cathedral was refounded in , and had suffered only minor damage. It is a favorite site for visitors from all over the world every year. It was completed in at a cost of 12 million pounds. Ely Cathedral continues to have resident choristers, which is not a common practice anymore and only a few cathedrals still do.

It is a boys' choir that consists of 22 choristers. Cookies contain information that is transferred to your computer's hard drive. These are cookies that are required for the operation of our website. They include, for example, cookies that enable you to log into secure areas of our website, use a shopping cart or make use of e-billing services. See strictly necessary cookies. These allow us to recognise and count the number of visitors and to see how visitors move around our website when they are using it.

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Events at Ely Cathedral View full listings. Make a donation More options. Support Us. How we use your support. Learn More. The Story of Ely.