Friday, October 2, 2015

Ely Cathedral, Part One - Anglophile Friday




It was a cold and dreary day...

but we were visiting Ely Cathedral, which made all the difference.  Here are a few pics from that day in March 2015, which seems like years ago. Rather than trying to reconstruct impressions of that day, I'm giving you a link to Ely Cathedral's History and Heritage page. I hope you'll find it interesting. Next time, I'll post photos of the interior. I did want to leave you with that first interior photo, however, because it was a stunning sight to behold.

'The Benedictine monks only concern was to glorify God, and nothing less than a building on a majestic scale would do.'  It is truly an awe-inspiring church.


ely.org.uk
(for fellow map people)







Sundial, high on outer south wall
The British do have a great sense of humor.


Which came first - the chicken or the egg?

It was actually the town of Ely that grew up around the cathedral, not the other way around. Prior to the construction of the cathedral, Ely was just a small settlement.  I like to try to imagine living in that area back when the cathedral was being built. It must have been an amazing thing to watch. Can you imagine the huge number of people who would have been working on this project!










And nearby, this sign...



This post is linked to

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

Photobucket

34 comments:

TexWisGirl said...

love the shots of the old brick/stone work. :) quite the massive structure.

NanaDiana said...

I love the chicken and egg analogy. What a great old cathedral. xo Diana

This N That said...

Gorgeous pictures, Judy..Love the Cathedral..It's huge..Have a wonderful weekend..

The Joy of Home with Martha Ellen said...

Oh my goodness, Judy! As if I needed another reason to go back to England! Ely Cathedral is magnificent. Every photo is lovely, but the first one took my breath away! Wow! I'm going to your links to see more. ♥

Anita Johnson said...

That is just beautiful...I would love to go to see something like that. A couple of weeks ago, Milwaukee held another open door weekend. Government buildings, churches, and shops were open for free tours. Unfortunately we were not able to attend...I would have loved to have seen some of the beautiful churches in Milwaukee. Some have amazing stained-glass windows. These photos are lovely.

MadSnapper said...

I love old and i love stone/brick and all those spires are fantastic, I have only seen one Cathedral, the one in Savannah, where I was born, and only in it once, i stepped inside when i was 18 to see what it looked like. i don't even remember what it looked like. i walked past it every day while on lunch from work. not nearly as big as this one.

Terri D said...

I stated before, so you already know that these beautiful ancient buildings make me catch my breath. I like to touch the stone and close my eyes and try to soak in some of the history still vibrating there. Just amazing.

Heide at ApronHistory said...

It is stunning! I can't imagine how much more breath taking it is in person.....

Tired Teacher said...

The craftmanship and detail is astonishing. It's a gorgeous building.

podso said...

Oh the history, the oldness of it all and the striking beauty! We have friends by that name!

Michelle said...

Love the history, and the beauty, of the cathedral.

Stephanie said...

Beautiful!

Lorrie said...

Such a magnificent building. I'm always in awe at the sight of those old cathedrals, imagining the hours and sweat labour that went into their construction.

Margaret Birding For Pleasure said...

I remember studying Ely Cathedral in architecture in school and was awe struck by it and you photos are great. Wonderful history so thanks for sharing. Have a lovely weekend.

Alex said...

Judy, I have been past it but not inside, so thank you. It is breathtaking... And less than 50 miles away... Must go, must go!
We do have our own (Norwich), hope you can see that one day!
I think many lives were lost in the making of these gorgeous feats of artistry... No health and safety regs in those days and labour (and lives!) were cheap.
I value them all the more for that reason.

Denise said...

so very beautiful

Vee said...

They truly are incredible buildings. What speaks more to my heart is the plaque commemorating the deaths of Wolsey and the painter.

Linda Kay said...

Unbelievable artistry in these buildings, Judy. Thanks for sharing your photos.

Sandi said...

Majestic...so much love went into this...and hard work!

What is the panel with the long black squiggle in the bottom section of photos?

Jim said...

Fantastic.

Graciel·la said...

Excellent report !
(I got here here via "Inspired Sunday")

Deb @ Frugal Little Bungalow said...

The architecture of those times is amazing, isn't it. Gorgeous post !

Tom said...

Big and beautiful.

Elizabeth Edwards said...

i was trying to recall the last time i have seen a sundial ... very cool. what a beauty. hope you are well. have a nice weekend! ( :

Marcia said...

There was a book about the building of a cathedral. Could it have been this one was the inspiration for that? Thanks for the tour.

Jackie McGuinness said...

Can't wait to see more photos.

Meggie said...

Wonderful photos....I'm with you, I can't imagine how difficult the construction was and the number of people it took to complete it.

Judy S. said...

Beautiful! So amazing when you think it was built without the benefit of modern machines!

Billy Blue Eyes said...

I' be seen Ely from distance but never had the chance to go mainly because at the time I was working. Not sure you would have wanted to live there when it was built as it is in the middle of the fens which back then would have been surrounded by water. Thanks for showing us the Cathederal

Billy Blue Eyes said...

I' be seen Ely from distance but never had the chance to go mainly because at the time I was working. Not sure you would have wanted to live there when it was built as it is in the middle of the fens which back then would have been surrounded by water. Thanks for showing us the Cathederal

Billy Blue Eyes said...

I' be seen Ely from distance but never had the chance to go mainly because at the time I was working. Not sure you would have wanted to live there when it was built as it is in the middle of the fens which back then would have been surrounded by water. Thanks for showing us the Cathederal

Magali@TheLittleWhiteHouse said...

I have great memories of visiting this cathhedral and the nearby Cromwell's house.

Red Rose Alley said...

Oh my, this Cathedral is beautiful, Judy. All the amazing detail, and so much history behind them. When my girls travel, they often go to mass at these old cathedrals, and it's a nice experience for them.

~Sheri

Carla from The River said...

Great photos!

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