Slide Shows on Cathedral and Church Architecture - by Michael G Hardy

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Ely Cathedral

Details of Slide Show - by Michael G Hardy

Description of Slide Show      Timings of Slide Show

Contents, Important Dates, and Number of Slides Shown

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Description of Slide Show

 

Ely Cathedral has proudly dominated the local fen landscape for more than 800 years. However it is now over 1300 years since a monastery was founded here by St Etheldreda in 673, and Part One starts by looking at her story with the help of some carved scenes around the capitals of the octagon of the cathedral. The Normans started rebuilding the church in 1083, but it was not until around 1190 that they finished their work at the western end. We trace the development of the Norman style from the large and solid arches of the main transepts and the slightly later nave through to the abundance of delicate arcades of narrow arches and fine decoration at the western end of the building. We see that some of them gradually changed into pointed arches as the work was completed. We look in detail at the western tower and south western transept which are truly amazing survivals illustrating the culmination of the Norman style.  A few years later they were accompanied by the exquisite galilee porch in the Early English style. To end Part One we look at the nave roof, its Victorian painted ceiling, and the impressive 15th century hammerbeam roofs of the transepts.

We start Part Two by looking at the 13th century extension to the eastern end of the cathedral, and its vaulting, which had to be followed by a new choir and vaulting after the collapse of the central tower in 1322. This disaster led to the central crossing being opened up with the brilliantly inspired octagon topped by the lantern tower which is unforgettable from all points of view. We take a detailed look at this remarkable work, from inside and outside, at low and high levels, and consider the true proportions of the timber structure that forms the lantern tower. We are very fortunate that all this amazing work in the Decorated style was finished just before the Black Death, which severely disrupted much church building work for many years.  We then look at the large and separate Lady Chapel which has the earliest stone vault to span 40 feet and a wealth of delicate carving in the arcades around the walls, although the statues were greatly damaged in the Reformation. The post medieval history of the cathedral is then considered, starting with the Dissolution, the closure of the cathedral during the Civil War, and restorations of the 18th and 19th centuries, which have left us some notable fittings. But overall we realise that political changes over the last 600 years have actually been far greater than fabric changes at Ely Cathedral.

In the Full Version only:  We conclude Part Two by looking at some splendid monuments and two fine chantry chapels which date from the final 50 years of monastic life at Ely. We also see the remarkable Prior Crauden's Chapel and some of the fine surviving monastic buildings, which are Europe's largest collection of medieval monastic buildings still in domestic use, many of them now used by the King's School, which was founded by King Henry VIII in 1541.

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Timings of Slide Show:

Ely Cathedral

 

Full

Version

Abridged

Version

Part One

  51 minutes

45 minutes

Part Two

  53 minutes

40 minutes

TOTAL

104 minutes

(maximum)

85 minutes

(minimum)

 

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Contents, Important Dates, Number of Slides Shown

 

Please note that some of the dates quoted are only approximate

 

Part One

Contents

Date

Full

Version

Abridged

Version

Introduction

x

6

6

St Etheldreda

c630 - 23 Jun 679

10

10

Foundation of Monastery

673

6

6

Benedictine Foundation

970

1

1

Norman Prior Appointed

1081

1

1

Norman Cathedral Started

1083

2

2

S Transept

c1090-c1110

16

15

N Transept

c1090-c1110

16

11

Nave

c1110-c1130

33

27

Monks' Doorway

c1140

4

3

Prior's Doorway

c1140

11

8

Western End and Tower

c1160-c1190

68

61

Galilee Porch

c1190-c1215 or c1250

16

15

Nave Roof

1240

7

7

Nave Painted Ceiling

1858-1865

15

11

Transept Roofs

c1430

9

8

Conclusion of Part One

x

4

4

Total Slides in Part One:

225

196

 

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Part Two

Contents

Date

Full

Version

Abridged

Version

Presbytery

1234-1252

34

33

Presbytery Vaulting

"

6

6

St Etheldreda's Shrine

1253

2

2

Choir Rebuilt

1322-1336

9

8

E End Vaulting & Flying Buttresses

1234-1336

11

8

Collapse of Central Tower

12 Feb 1322

x

x

Central Octagon

c1322-?

66

60

Lady Chapel

1321-1349

28

27

Western Tower Extension

1392

6

6

Dissolution and Refounding

1539 and 1541

1

1

Cathedral closed for 17 years

from 1643-1660

2

1

18th and 19th century Restorations

1760-1900

27

25

Monuments and Chantries

1169-1600

21

x

Prior Crauden's Chapel

c1320s

6

x

Other Monastic Buildings

x

11

x

Conclusion

x

4

x

Total Slides in Part Two:

234

177

 

Slide Show on "Ely Cathedral"

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This page last modified on 15th December 2005