IS ELY CATHEDRAL OF IN ENGLAND IS ONE OF THE SEVEN WONDERS?

ELY CATHEDRAL

        Let me ask you this kind of question, is it really true that it is one of the seven medieval wonders of the world? The answer is a big YES!. The Ely Cathedral of England was one of the Seven Medieval Wonders of the World. In full, it is The Cathedral Church of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Ely. This is the principal church of the Diocese of Ely, in Cambridgeshire, England, and is the seat of the Bishop of Ely and a suffragan bishop, the Bishop of Huntingdon. It is known locally as "the ship of the Fens", because of its prominent shape that towers above the surrounding flat and watery landscape. The present cathedral was started by Abbot Simeon (1082–1094, brother of Walkelin, the then bishop of Winchester) under William I in 1083. Building continued under Simeon's successor, Abbot Richard (1100–1107). The Anglo-Saxon church was demolished, but some of its relics, such as the remains of its benefactors, were moved to the cathedral. The main transepts were built early on, crossing the nave below a central tower, and are the oldest surviving part of the cathedral. Construction work continued throughout the 12th century. The Western transepts and tower were completed under Bishop Ridel (1174–89) in an exuberant Romanesque style with a rich decoration of intersecting arches and complex mouldings. Ely was originally called the "Isle of Ely" because it stands on high ground that used to be surrounded by fens. The fens weren't drained until the 18th and 19th centuries, when the moist soil became fertile farmland. Even today the countryside gets quite muddy after a rain. Hikers beware of this kind of situation or climate because it is danger for your lives. 

    That is the inside view of the Ely Cathedral. Beautiful isn't it? It is already beautiful in picture how much more in personal? How I wish I can go there have witness the beauty of this church. A Galilee porch was added under Bishop Eustace (1198–1215) in the Early English Gothic style. It was originally a two-storey structure (it was opened up into a single vaulted space in the 18th century) where liturgical processions could gather before entering the nave. Several details of its decoration, particularly the 'syncopated arches' and the use of Purbeck marble shafts, reflect the influence of St Hugh's Choir at Lincoln Cathedral, built a few years earlier. Under Bishop Northwold, work began on a new eastern end in 1234, replacing the short Norman chancel with a much grander 10-bay structure. Northwold's chancel, completed by around 1252, adopted several of the stylistic elements already used in the Galilee porch. The entrance is through a graceful double Gothic archway. Once inside, many visitors enter the labyrinth set out in tiles on the floor. Labyrinths are found in many medieval cathedrals and are currently enjoying a revival with pilgrims and tourists. They are meant as aids to meditation. This isn't actually a maze, but a unicursal labyrinth, meaning a "one-way path." The point isn't to figure out the way through, but to follow a winding course that takes one in a meandering path to the center. While working their way from the outside of the labyrinth to the center, pilgrims are supposed to think about the spiritual symbolism of its complex passages and elegant symmetry. Interestingly, the distance required to walk the labyrinth is the same as climbing the Great West Tower. You will never regret if you go there because it is such a beautiful place in England.

Posted in: building