I came across this photo recently in a newspaper article about 'best places to live in the UK'. I didn't bother to read the article.
I was instantly re-enthralled by the beauty and size of this magnificent cathedral; what you see in the photo is about half of it. It's HUGE.
The cathedral is in the city of Ely in the UK's very flat region of East Anglia; that round bit that sticks out on the right hand side as you look at the map of England. When you approach Ely, from whatever direction, the cathedral stands out like a sore thumb, and can be seen from miles away; even more so than France's Chartres.
I was fortunate to spend four years living in the shadow of the cathedral, and visited it every day. It became an all-enveloping leviathan that made one feel both comfortable and safe. It was the mother-ship, the guardian angel, the everlasting monolith. I must say that it invigorated me on a daily basis.
These days when I look at pictures of the cathedral, I see it in a very different light. As someone who worked for a short while cutting stone, I now see it as one enormous medieval building site, with hundreds of stonemasons chiseling away at lumps of stone, one by one, for decades. A jigsaw puzzle of the most complicated type, that required enormous skill, strength, and (I imagine) a lot of patience. It took about 300 years to build; and every single stone had to be perfect!
Such cathedrals, or any other giant structures, will never be built again. If you're lucky such buildings could be made of brick, such as at Guildford, or Albi in France; or more likely from poured concrete as in London's Barbican. Cutting stones in such vast quantities is no longer viable.
The cathedral was built between 1083 and 1375. Actual building began over three hundred years AFTER the adjacent monastic school was founded in 672.
If you're in the area do pay a visit, you won't be disappointed. Just say Cro sent you!
I stand in awe looking at these magnificent buildings, the workmanship never ceases to amaze me.
ReplyDeleteOne almost forgets that it's not just the exterior, but all the interior is hand carved and perfectly designed. A gargantuan task.
DeleteThree hundred years. Worth waiting for.
ReplyDeleteA very long time, and a lot of stone. They did a great job.
DeleteAn amazing Cathedral. What an accomplishment. It has a very interesting story behind it
ReplyDeleteThe stonemasons were often naughty boys. When the boss was away they would carve X-rated things in half-hidden places. I, of course, knew where they all were, and would show visiting tourists. They always loved them!
DeleteAll ancient cathedrals are magnificent and I always marvel at the fact that they were built at a time when there were no mechanical devices to help. Is it likely that any of today's grand buildings will be standing in 1,000+ years?
ReplyDeleteI don't know about today's grand buildings, but my old school, which was founded and built in 672 is still in good condition, whereas a lot of 1960's schools are falling to bits. Standards must have slipped.
DeleteIt is indeed a magnificent cathedral. I wonder where the stone was quarried. By the way, rather than saying that Ely Cathedral stands out like "a sore thumb", I think it might be better to write something more positive like this... "a mighty beacon soaring above a furrowed ocean". Just a thought.
ReplyDeleteI was wondering about the stone too. There was an old quarry just out of Ely so I suppose that was it. It was filled with water and we used to swim there. One boy drowned.
DeleteGoogle told me this:- "The cathedral is built from stone quarried from Barnack in Northamptonshire purchased for 8000 eels a year and transported along the river system. Several decorative elements are carved from Purbeck marble from Dorset and a local limestone, clunch." P.S. Barnack is 65 miles from Ely.
DeleteI was fortunate in my twenties to have a friend whose father was the Rector of Warboys with it's splendid partly AngloSaxon church. The Rector was a Canon of Ely so I was fortunate enough to visit it too with the occasional "guided tour" thrown in. I have to confess that the 60 years in between have dulled my memory but seeing your picture has reminded me of what an awe inspiring edifice I found it to be.
ReplyDeleteWe are lucky in the UK to have some magnificent cathedrals. Old churches and/or cathedrals are always the first places I visit when travelling.
DeleteEly Cathedral is indeed beautiful, as are Canterbury, Lincoln, Wells, and Norwich, Bath Abbey is superb, and of course York Minster and Beverley Minster are both stunningly beautiful, but my all time favourite is Durham!
ReplyDeleteDurham doesn't have any of the 'prettiness' of some of the others, but it sits on top of the hill, solid, imposing, powerful and looking like the Sanctuary it has always been!
The glorious cylindrical pillars are astounding in their carving, but don’t help to support the ceiling arches, and are there more for decoration.
The pillars are actually hollow inside and may even contain bits of rubble from the late 11th and early 12th centuries.
We always pop in to say 'Hi' to St. Cuthbert whenever we're in the area, which is fairly often!
I don't know a lot about Durham, but I do remember from my 'History of Architecture' A Level paper that it does contain some very renowned Norman carving; dogtooth, etc.
DeleteThe churches in most areas, even in the states, are large/massive stone built. Nothing here locally like your super massive structures there.
ReplyDeleteDid it designate power/wealth of the church, do you think? I am thinking Catholic churches anyway.
Just think, who started the projects don't get to see them finished at 300 yrs.
They certainly demonstrated 'power' over the people; it was the 'people' who paid for it. I'm not sure if it was ever filled. It would have taken a huge population to even half fill it.
DeleteMy Eldest has lived in Cambridge since he went to university there and loved it so much he never came back. We are down South. He is now married with three children. In the early days when we visited he and my daughter in law took us to Ely Cathedral. We went on a guided tour which took us up into the roof space. It was mind blowing and a little scary. A lot of people died during the building of it. It is truly spectacular and has remained in my memory.
ReplyDeleteOnce visited, never forgotten. I think people always died during big construction projects; and still do!
DeleteThe cathedral is a historic masterpiece. The skill of the stonemasons responsible for the build is remarkable.
ReplyDeleteIt really is. When either inside or out, the first thing you experience is the craftsmanship.
DeleteSuch cathedrals, or any other giant structures, will never be built again,…. They must let’s not forget the Sagrada familia
ReplyDeleteYes, I think most of it is stone, but it also relies heavily on concrete. I wonder when it will be finished?
DeleteWatched an 'ESCAPE TO THE COUNTRY' today that had a glimpse of the interior of the cathedral in Ely and exterior as well from a distance. Interior is something otherworldly.
ReplyDeleteOh, I missed that. From a distance is wonderful; it towers over everything.
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