This place has always had a place of worship since 673 AD when St Etheldreda became a nun and built a place for both men and women to worship.
That building was destroyed in 870 by the Danes. Then a Benedictine monastery was built in 970.
This church's construction began in 1082 under William the Conqueror. It is built in cruciform (cross shaped) and has the longest nave in Britain. It also has the biggest lady's chapel in England.
It has also been used in a lot of high profile albums and movies. It was on the cover of the Pink Floyd's 1994 album The Division Bell. It was also in the movies, Elizabeth: The Golden Age, The Other Boleyn Girl and The King's Speech.
I love Ely Cathedral because it simply a beautiful building. I love to drive in Ely because you can almost see the Cathedral from anywhere you are. You can see that the people who built this building were very talented especially the way they built the Octagon Tower. I have attended a few events here such as the Girl Guiding celebrating their Centenary and it was an amazing venue.
If you live in the CB6 or CB7 post code area, you can get a residents card which will allow you to get into Ely Cathedral anytime it is open to the public for free. You just need to bring proof of your address and the card lasts for two years. More information can be found here.
If you don’t see anything else, you must see Ely Cathedral.
All the Best!
American to Britain