Day 22-23 Ely and Wicken Fen

Ely and Wicken Fen

Our first day back at Susan's was spent doing laundry and we didn't think pictures of washing on the line would be all that thrilling. So there are none!  John cooked.

Next day was only fairly dreary, cold and miserable, but no rain, so it was off to Ely and its stunning cathedral. We were pleasantly surprised after finding our way to the cathedral car park to discover that it was FREE!! Almost unheard of in this part of England. Even the supermarket carparks charge a fee.

The first views of Ely cathedral are stunning and it just keeps getting better.

It's magnificent! (Even if John can't hold the camera straight)

Entering the cathedral interior is a real wow! moment. It is vast and ornate. Yes, they do charge admission, and there was an add-on tour of the upper gallery display of stained glass through the ages which was well worthwhile also.

First view takes our breath away

They were just putting together this sculpture of Oliver Cromwell on his horse

Which way to the stained glass display?

This way ... past the stained glass windows ...

I should try to cull my very large collection of stained glass photos

Themes are either religious or royal

Clearly royal

A young Jesus in the temple

The stained glass exhibition didn't focus on the cathedral, but drew exhibits from a variety of sources. The middle ages were impressive as one might expect. It's a matter of taste, but the 20th century efforts were at best humdrum and at worst really quite ugly (according to John). The leading often seemed unduly heavy and intrusive. On the other hand an eye opener was the work of the Victorians. Apparently they revived interest in stained glass and some of the work was stunning for its design and fine detail. Well worth popping over to Ely to have a look!

Barb was taken with these gargoyles
 high up on the walls of the cathedral

The ceilings are a work of art in themselves

The cupola was amazing too!

The carving is extraordinarily intricate

Very ornate crypts

The Lady Chapel

Local ladies from the parish working on a religious banner

Ely doesn't disappoint

The cathedral is too big to fit in the photo!

After spending quite some time in the cathedral, we went off in search of lunch. The cathedral tearooms were not open because of renovation in progress on the outside of the building. Lots of stone-masons and builders and scaffolding outside attested to this.

We walked further into town and found a cafe, which served a rather uninspired menu, but cheap (and clean and prompt service) and tasted okay. The excitement came when an elderly man at the table behind us collapsed into a faint and his poor equally elderly wife was trying to assist him and prevent him falling to the floor. Barb offered assistance, and medical help was called. He had come round, pinked up and was breathing when we left him to expert hands.

We had seen a sign as we came into Ely pointing to Oliver Cromwell's house. Cromwell grew to be the dominant figure in the English civil war (1642-1651), which despite being "English" disrupted and threw into turmoil the whole of Great Britain and Ireland. Parliament and its New Model Army - the Roundheads - won final control of the country in 1651. Two years before, in 1649, Charles 1 been tried and executed, his death warrant being signed by Cromwell and and 50 or more others.  At the Restoration in 1660 those still alive were hung, drawn and quartered. That'll teach'em.

Cromwell's rather unpreposessing house

John meets Oliver and Elizabeth Cromwell

A very simple family kitchen of its time

Cromwell in his study

jgfc

John at Cromwell's desk in the tithe office

It was quite an interesting display .... even though John isn't too keen on Oliver Cromwell (evidence that he was a nice man is lacking - he is associated, rightly or wrongly, with the destruction of castles, and he was brutal in Ireland). We also spotted the St Mary's church he used to attend on our way back to the carpark.

St Mary's church in the background

Now, for a complete change of pace, we headeed to Wicken Fen Nature reserve, which is only about ten or fifteen miles from Ely on our route home.

A picture postcard house at Wicken

The chook house behind the cottage was called Wicken Hen

The fens are full of these reeds

Some fens were drained by windmills .... however this is just here for
show, having been moved from elsewhwere in order to preserve it

The fens are quite boggy (er ... the fens are bog!)

We sat for ages in this hide waiting to see the birdlife we could hear all around us

The birds were way too quick for us!

An example of coppiced fencing using the reeds

There's a deer hiding in the grass .... trust me!

By this time we were really, really cold and scuttled back to the car and then Susan's!