Overview

Ely Cathedral is dubbed "the ship of the Fens,” as it looms out of the flat fen land landscape like a proud galleon on a calm sea. Ely itself was once an island surrounded by marshes. Following the Norman conquest of England, construction on this grand cathedral began (1081 to 1189). The original tower collapsed in 1322 and was replaced by the Octagon, an eight-sided gallery that remains today. The cathedral complex includes the Lady Chapel, England's largest chapel, medieval monastic buildings, a brass rubbing centre and the Museum of Stained Glass.