Ely Cambridgeshire is a City With a Magnificent Cathedral
Ely Cambridgeshire is a city in Eastern England with a population of about 15,000.
The cathedral in town is listed as one of the Seven Wonders of the Medieval World.
It is often called the Isle of Ely and was at one time.
All around the city were low lying fens that are like dense marshlands.
In ancient days if you did not know how to get through the fens you would drown.
The fens were drained in the eighteen hundreds and Ely is no longer an island.
The city started as the location of an abbey built in 673 AD that was destroyed by the Danes in 870.
It was rebuilt about 100 years later and was one of the last places to be ruled by William I.
Oliver Cromwell was a resident of the city and was the tax collector for many years.
His home is now the Tourist Information Office with a museum.
Today the city of Ely has tried to maintain the many historic buildings.
You can enjoy the outdoor market that occurs every week on Thursday and Saturdays.
On Saturday you can take advantage of the crafts that are displayed as well as the vegetables and fruits.
There are other great opportunities for shopping along the winding streets of the cities where you an find antiques, art, clothing, household items and souvenirs.
Ely Cathedral is one of the biggest tourist attractions in the city.
The Cathedral Church of the Holy and Undivided Trinity is also called the Ship of the Fens.
The towers can be seen from many miles a way and could be seen over the wetlands when they were there.
The cathedral has an Octagon Tower which was built after the original tower collapsed during the fourteenth century.
The architecture of the tower is astounding because it looks as if it is floating above the cross shaped structure below without any support.
The ceiling itself is a thing of beauty and a table with a mirror has been strategically placed so you can look at the reflection instead of craning the neck to see the ceiling.
There is ornate wood carving in every section of the cathedral and stone carvings are also found.
Inside the cathedral is a stain glass museum.
Outside the cathedral is a beautiful garden to explore called the Jubilee Garden.
Ely Museum was once a jail and is one of the oldest buildings in the city being built in the thirteenth century.
An exhibit of the cells used in the jail tells just how horrible it must have been to be a prisoner.
All displays are in chronological order so the first one is of fossils and artifacts from the Neolithic period.
The fenlands around the town were once filled with eels and often times people would pay debt with these eels.
In the museum you can see many devices used to catch the eels.
The market on Saturdays is probably the best time to shop in the city but there are other permanent indoor shops in town where you can peruse antiques to modern housewares.
The town has many eating establishments to offer with a variety of cuisines.
All along the river are pubs and taverns that can be quite interesting and fun.
There is also a variety of hotels and inns in town with all kinds of price ranges.
The cathedral in town is listed as one of the Seven Wonders of the Medieval World.
It is often called the Isle of Ely and was at one time.
All around the city were low lying fens that are like dense marshlands.
In ancient days if you did not know how to get through the fens you would drown.
The fens were drained in the eighteen hundreds and Ely is no longer an island.
The city started as the location of an abbey built in 673 AD that was destroyed by the Danes in 870.
It was rebuilt about 100 years later and was one of the last places to be ruled by William I.
Oliver Cromwell was a resident of the city and was the tax collector for many years.
His home is now the Tourist Information Office with a museum.
Today the city of Ely has tried to maintain the many historic buildings.
You can enjoy the outdoor market that occurs every week on Thursday and Saturdays.
On Saturday you can take advantage of the crafts that are displayed as well as the vegetables and fruits.
There are other great opportunities for shopping along the winding streets of the cities where you an find antiques, art, clothing, household items and souvenirs.
Ely Cathedral is one of the biggest tourist attractions in the city.
The Cathedral Church of the Holy and Undivided Trinity is also called the Ship of the Fens.
The towers can be seen from many miles a way and could be seen over the wetlands when they were there.
The cathedral has an Octagon Tower which was built after the original tower collapsed during the fourteenth century.
The architecture of the tower is astounding because it looks as if it is floating above the cross shaped structure below without any support.
The ceiling itself is a thing of beauty and a table with a mirror has been strategically placed so you can look at the reflection instead of craning the neck to see the ceiling.
There is ornate wood carving in every section of the cathedral and stone carvings are also found.
Inside the cathedral is a stain glass museum.
Outside the cathedral is a beautiful garden to explore called the Jubilee Garden.
Ely Museum was once a jail and is one of the oldest buildings in the city being built in the thirteenth century.
An exhibit of the cells used in the jail tells just how horrible it must have been to be a prisoner.
All displays are in chronological order so the first one is of fossils and artifacts from the Neolithic period.
The fenlands around the town were once filled with eels and often times people would pay debt with these eels.
In the museum you can see many devices used to catch the eels.
The market on Saturdays is probably the best time to shop in the city but there are other permanent indoor shops in town where you can peruse antiques to modern housewares.
The town has many eating establishments to offer with a variety of cuisines.
All along the river are pubs and taverns that can be quite interesting and fun.
There is also a variety of hotels and inns in town with all kinds of price ranges.