I was fortunate to spend a few days in Ely with a friend at the end of November. Ely (for those that don't know) is about 150 miles south east of Saltaire, in Cambridgeshire. I'd never been before and found it a charming little city, dominated by its cathedral which has a history dating back over 1300 years. The surrounding area is very flat fenland so the cathedral is visible for miles around and is sometimes referred to as 'The Ship of the Fens'.
I arrived in the late afternoon and was able to enjoy a first exploration at twilight, with a prettily rosy sky as the sun set. The sun lit up the cathedral with a pinkish hue and it was also pleasantly atmospheric down by the River Great Ouse, where there is a marina. Until the 17th century, Ely was on an island in the low lying, waterlogged fenland. Eventually the Fens were drained to provide agricultural land, and the area is still dominated by farming on an industrial scale.
The next day was dull and damp so everything looked different again, though the autumnal tones do glow in those conditions. It's hard to find a complete view of the cathedral in any direction; one just gets enticing glimpses.
On the riverside, a fisherman caught a small fish just as I took the photo. I was having to use a slow shutter speed because of the gloom and so his sudden movement as the line jerked meant some blurring, though I don't think it matters. It made me jump too! Authentic, anyway!
Nice to see a familiar place through the eyes of someone else. You're right, that first picture is the only complete view of the cathedral without resorting to a drone!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful shots...great sky color!
ReplyDeleteThat town is on my list to visit if I ever get over to England again.
ReplyDeleteThank you for this little glimpse of Ely! Any mention of Ely (which I have not had the pleasure of visiting) brings to mind my favorite British author, Elizabeth Goudge (1900-1984). One of her novels, The Dean's Watch, was set in Ely during the late 1800s. She includes a lot of history of the Cathedral and town in the story as it goes along. She lived in Ely as a child to young adult because her father, Henry Leighton Goudge, was the principal of the Theological College there. Anyway, sorry to go on like this. Many people say The Dean's Watch is their favorite of her novels; it's true for me! I don't know if you are a reader, but just thought I'd mention this in case you might be interested.
ReplyDeleteI'd not heard of the novel but funnily enough another friend mentioned it to me today too. Sounds like I need to read it!
DeleteProvably my ancestors lived from 1730 to 1960 in Hemingford Grey very close to Ely. I recall vividly as a child shouting into my fathers ear against the noise of the powerful Ely cathedral organ. Suddenly it stopped, and my young voice rang around the sacred pillars. If one uses a torch and mirror one can identify the signature of an original medieval stonemason carefully concealed in a side chapel. Three hundred years ago a Dutchman planned effective drainage of the Fen watershed by constructing the Twenty Foot and the Forty Foot waterways from Erith to the sea at Denver Sluice. Many airfields were built around Ely during WWII to be used by American and British bombers attacking Germany.
ReplyDeleteThe cathedral really stands out.
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