Ely Cathedral, the Galilee Porch
Ely Cathedral in the East of England on the Isle of Ely falls within the diocese of Ely. The cathedral is sometimes referred to as the ‘Ship of the Fens’ because of its prominence in the surrounding flat and watery landscape known as ‘The Fens’. It has been a centre of pilgrimage for many centuries. The first church on the site was founded by St Etheldreda (). The Abbot Simeon begun construction of the present building in 1083 for the Benedictines in the reign of William I (William the Conqueror); and it became a cathedral when the Diocese of Ely was created in 1109. The cathedral was added to over two centuries and completed in its present form by the fourteenth century. The original central tower collapsed in 1322 and was replaced by the present octagonal lantern tower. At the time of the Dissolution of the Monasteries, in the reign of Henry VIII, the cathedral was only slightly damaged, but the Shrine of St Etheldreda was destroyed. There have been three major renovations, the last of which was completed in 2000. The picture was drawn by Hablot K. Browne (b. 1815), famous during the nineteenth century for being Dickens’ illustrator; and engraved by Benjamin Winkles.
Size: 3884px × 5010px
Location: Ely, Cambridgeshire, England
Photo credit: © Cameni Images / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: abbot, benjamin, browne, cathedral, conqueror, diocese, ely, etheldreda, fens, galilee, hablot, isle, lantern, octagonal, pilgrimage, porch, ship, simeon, st, tower, william, winkles
