Ely Cathedral

Ely Cathedral
Cathedral Church of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Ely
Ely Cathedral from the southeast
Ely Cathedral from the southeast
Ely Cathedral is located in Cambridgeshire
Ely Cathedral
Ely Cathedral
Location of Ely Cathedral in Cambridgeshire
52°23′55″N 0°15′50″E / 52.39861°N 0.26389°E / 52.39861; 0.26389
LocationEly, Cambridgeshire
CountryEngland
DenominationChurch of England
Previous denominationCatholic
TraditionBroad church
Websitewww.elycathedral.org
History
DedicationHoly Trinity
Architecture
StyleRomanesque, English Gothic
Years built1083–1375
Specifications
Length163.7 m (537 ft)
Height66 m (217 ft)
Nave height21.9 m (72 ft)
Number of towers2
Tower height66 m (217 ft) (west tower), 52 m (171 ft) (lantern tower)
Bells5 (hung in west tower; used for clock)
Administration
ProvinceCanterbury
DioceseEly (since 1109)
Clergy
Bishop(s)Stephen Conway
Dagmar Winter (Suffragan Bishop)
DeanMark Bonney
PrecentorJames Garrard
Canon(s)James Reveley, Jessica Martin (IME)
Laity
Director of musicEdmund Aldhouse
Organist(s)Glen Dempsey

Ely Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Ely,[1] is an Anglican cathedral in the city of Ely, Cambridgeshire, England.

The cathedral can trace its origin to the abbey founded in Ely in 672 by St Æthelthryth (also called Etheldreda). The earliest parts of the present building date to 1083, and it was granted cathedral status in 1109. Until the Reformation, the cathedral was dedicated to St Etheldreda and St Peter, at which point it was refounded as the Cathedral Church of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Ely. It is the cathedral of the Diocese of Ely, which covers most of Cambridgeshire and western Norfolk, Essex, and Bedfordshire. It is the seat of the Bishop of Ely and a suffragan bishop, the Bishop of Huntingdon.[2]

Architecturally, Ely Cathedral is outstanding both for its scale and stylistic details. Having been built in a monumental Romanesque style, the galilee porch, lady chapel and choir were rebuilt in an exuberant Decorated Gothic. Its most notable feature is the central octagonal tower, with lantern above, which provides a unique internal space and, along with the West Tower, dominates the surrounding landscape.

The cathedral is a major tourist destination, receiving around 250,000 visitors per year,[3] and sustains a daily pattern of morning and evening services.[4]

  1. ^ The Constitution and Statutes of Ely Cathedral (PDF). October 2022. p. 6.
  2. ^ Ely, Diocese of. "About - Diocese of Ely". Diocese of Ely. Archived from the original on 10 January 2024. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
  3. ^ elycathedral.org facts-and-figures Archived 28 May 2015 at the Wayback Machine accessed 21 September 2015
  4. ^ elycathedral.org service-schedules Archived 26 September 2015 at the Wayback Machine accessed 21 September 2015

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