A Day in Ely Cathedral

Shortly after Lockdown earlier this year, Marijke and I spent a liberating fortnight on the North Norfolk coast. One day, though, it turned wet and blustery and we drove down to seek sanctuary in Ely Cathedral. First, an interesting tour of the Stained Glass Museum housed on the first floor then back down to the nave, where we admired the majestic octagonal tower before passing through the North transept and on into the Lady Chapel, the largest of its kind in England. We looked up at the translucent windows and this is what we saw:

I had only joined the Company the previous year and, as you can imagine, Marijke and I were both passing surprised. But to begin at the beginning…

The Lady Chapel dates from the early 14th century. It was dedicated to the Virgin Mary and featured, besides painted statues inside and out, a series of carvings. These are thought to have depicted miracles ascribed to the Virgin during her life, drawn from noncanonical gospels. A high expression of medieval faith, the Chapel was anathema to the Puritans. Perhaps 65 statues, the stained glass and the many carvings were all destroyed, the task made easier by the softness of the carved stone.

Ely had been a monastic establishment but for a Protestant cathedral the Chapel was redundant and it must soldier on as a parish church. Its condition went from bad to worse and in the gloom of green Victorian windows is said to have moved a visiting Augustus Pugin to tears. From 1936 it fell into disuse. By 1980 the overall condition of the Cathedral itself had deteriorated alarmingly. Root and branch restoration got underway which was to last some two decades. An early beneficiary of this effort was the Lady Chapel which the Cathedral was now able, once more, to reclaim as its own. Between 1980 and 1986 the Chapel underwent a thorough overhaul including its windows. Sponsors of the new windows included major companies with operations in Ely, local families, and … the Tylers and Bricklayers.

Quite how we became involved with the Chapel is still unclear Any members who have a recollection could usefully get in touch. But, if we include the design and construction skills of three former members of the Company deployed in Liverpool, Bradford, Guildford and Southwark, it brings the number of English cathedrals to which we have some connection to five.

All in all, a good return on a rainy day!

Roger Booth

Liveryman

Grateful thanks are due to David Bruce, Cellarer at Ely Cathedral, for his kind help in researching this article, any errors being my own.