Rosie Corriette

Notes from a retired blogger

Tag: Cambridgshire

  • Ely Cathedral

    Ely Cathedral

    The perfect trip from Cambridge, we spent the afternoon in Ely – with no visit to the Cathedral city complete without visiting the gothically imposing Ely Cathedral that rises from the surrounding fens, perched on the hill of Ely.

    Exterior upshot of medieval cathedral

    Ely Cathedral is breathtaking, rendering visitors speechless at it’s scale and intricacy. I have a thing for cathedrals and religious architecture – I think it’s the complexity and nuance of the messaging contained often within what could be mundane structures: windows, pillars etc. The present Cathedral dates back to 1083, with an Abbey church originally being built on the site as early as 672AD.

    Upshot of intricately decorated octagon and lantern ceiling of Ely Cathedral

    Ely Cathedral is open daily (take care to note when events and services are on and be respectful) – as it was a breezy and damp Friday afternoon in March we found the Cathedral quiet with no wait to enter, however it is advised to prebook your tickets.

    Friday afternoons are organ practice so whilst (beautifully) noisy at times we were treated to the most delightful sounds as we wandered round. The cathedral unlike may of its’s counterparts in bigger cities isn’t full of crowds, meaning your visit is leisurely and let’s face it: much more enjoyable.

    colourful stained glass window depicting Noah's Ark

    marble statue of a man laid on his side in front of stain glass windows

    Self-styled as a medieval engineering masterpiece, the description is perhaps the best that could be said about Ely Cathedral – if you can look past the stained glass windows that are some of the best examples (from the Victorian period) with immense intricacy, the marble carvings that are more lifelike than any selfie could every hope to be – what you see is an engineering feat that is magnificent both on a level of scale and complexity. The nave is, well I’ll leave the words to you…

    Up shot of a nave of a cathedral

    As always I’m fascinated by graffiti, not the kind you see tagged on the side of a bus stop but the worn away type -medieval in this instance – that tells a story of the people who lived our their lives within the cathedral.

    Stone slab with medieval graffiti

    This lesser known Cathedral may be off the beaten track but is no less when it comes to beauty and awe. A truly worthwhile addition to a visit to Cambridgeshire and one definitely not to be overlooked. 

    Tickets and tours can been be booked online ahead of your visit. 

  • An Afternoon in Ely

    What better way to extend a micro city break than to add to an easy afternoon out onto it. That’s exactly what we did when we headed to Cambridge for 24 hours. Ely is 12 miles outside of Cambridge. The best way to get there is by jumping on the train, taking less than 15 minutes and costing a little over £3 return.

    We left our bags at the hotel we’d stayed at in Cambridge – I always recommended on ditching the bags if possible, even if it adds a little more time on to your day it’ll be worth it as you won’t be dragging them around and will be free to explore.

    Ely’s skyline is dominated by the imposing Cathedral – read more about our visit to the cathedral here – and no visit to Ely would be complete without a heaven gazing stroll around the magnificent cathedral which dates back to 1083, you may even find yourself recognising parts as scenes of The Crown were filmed there. 

    Exterior upshot of medieval cathedral

    As well as Ely Cathedral, Ely is home to Oliver Cromwell’s House – somewhere I wish we‘d visited; a reminder to plan our next trip as there would have been ample time.

    Thirsty from our cathedral gazing we settled in at one of the many pubs and spent a few hours playing backgammon and drinking beer – a truly indulgent way to spend an afternoon. 

    Pint of guinness next to wooden backgammon board in play

    A cathedral city, Ely is compact and more like a small town – easy to find your way around whether you’ve parked up or walked in from the train station.

    A very late lunch beckoned so we headed to the Royal Standard – a pub and hotel – and the oldest building on Ely’s Fore Hill, dating all the way back to the 15th Century; perfect for a lazy lunch with a great gin selection. There was plenty of seating available, yet it was an off season Friday afternoon so something to bear in mind if planning a trip in the summer holidays. 

    The quaint streets that surround the medieval masterpiece that is the Cathedral offer plenty of exploring with lots of small independent shops – the charm of Ely is you can come just for an afternoon and be satisfied or decided to return with your bags next time for an extended stay.

    Cream shop front of a stamp auction house

    Ely is I imagine just one of the many destinations that I’ve overlooked and will be added to the list of places I’m looking forward to revisiting.