Ely is a cathedral city in Cambridgeshire, England, with a population of 19,200 at the time of the 2021 census. The city is located at the highest point in the Fens of Eastern England at 26 metres (85 feet) above sea level. The surrounding land was once waterlogged, effectively making the city an island, until the area was drained in the 18th century. The River Great Ouse flows along the south-east edge of the city.
Monday, 13th February 2023
Outside Oliver Cromwell’s House in Ely. This was Oliver Cromwell’s family home and is his only residence other than Hampton Court that still exists. The earliest part of the building is the kitchens which date from around 1215. The house was the vicarage of St Mary’s Church until 1986. It was subsequently bought by the City of Ely Council and opened as a tourist attraction in 1990. It is now decorated how it may have looked during Cromwell’s lifetime.
Oliver Cromwell (1599 – 1658) ruled as Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland from 1653 to 1658 at the end of the English Civil War and following the execution of King Charles I in 1649. He is regarded as one of the most important figures in British history.
A display inside Oliver Cromwell’s House that includes a large sword and dagger intended for use by a cavalry soldier on horseback. These likely date from the English Civil War (1642 – 1651).Tony and Tatiana in front of a large cannon on Palace Green in Ely. This Russian cannon was captured from the Russians in Sebastopol and given to the city of Ely by Queen Victoria in 1860 after the Crimean War. Her gift was in recognition of the successful formation of the Ely Rifle Volunteers.View inside Ely Cathedral: large stone columns and stain-glass windows can be seen in the background. Ely Cathedral, officially the Cathedral Church of the Holy and Undivided Trinity, can trace its origin to an abbey founded in 672 by Saint Aethelthryth (Etheldreda). The earliest parts of the present building date back to 1083. The church was granted cathedral status in 1109. The building is Romanesque and Gothic in style.Decorative metalwork inside Ely Cathedral. The curvy scrollwork design resembles leaves and flowers.Tall Gothic arched windows inside the Lady Chapel at Ely Cathedral. This is the largest chapel attached to any British cathedral. It was completed in 1349 and is 30 metres (100 feet) long and 14 metres (46 feet) wide. The windows are today clear glass, but would have originally been brightly coloured stained glass. The original window glass was lost during the Reformation in the 16th century.The high altar inside Ely Cathedral. The altar was moved to this location in the 1850s by architect Sir Gilbert Scott. He also designed the elaborate alabaster screen at the back of the altar. The five lower panels in the screen depict the events of Holy Week that end with Jesus’ crucifixion on the cross. The altar itself is draped with a green and gold cloth with a gold cross and a pair of large candlesticks on top.Carved woodwork inside Ely Cathedral, including a crowned human figure. Possibly part of the 14th-century choir stalls.Part of the exterior facade of Ely Cathedral. A row of arched stained-glass windows can be seen. The windows are interspersed with buttresses to reinforce the walls. The cathedral is 163.7 metres (537 feet) in length and its highest point is the west tower which rises to 66 metres (217 feet).
