Absolutely lovey visit to this stunningly architecturally exquisite cathedral, made extra special by Shirley, our tour guide, who shared her love of this special place by sharing her secrets with us and bringing an old empty stone building alive with history and characters. Stained glass was stunning. The defaced saints etc shows how the cathedral managed to survive religious upheavals through the years and still stay a focus for the local population's faith. Nice gift shop to peruse and take a gift or memory home with you. Definitely put this majestic historical building on your Ely itinerary. read more

Today, 21 November 2025 was Ely Cathedral's annual Christmas Market. First, the exterior architecture was stunningly amazing. To think that a building of this size and historic nature is being preserved is commendable. Inside, the numerous stained glass is breathtakingly beautiful. But the reason for today's visit was the annual Christmas Market, a ticketed event featuring high quality artists. The aroma of dried orange wreaths fill the church. I can't begin to name all the artwork being sold, and included the church gift shop. A truly memorable experience! read more

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What an incredible example of gothic architecture as well as rich english history. Ely cathedral is an active church with regular services. The details are amazing, and rich history of being defaced during the reformation. read more

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First time at Ely Cathedral which is what Ely is known for and I absolutely loved the experience. It's a quick train ride from Cambridge, 15 minutes, but the train station itself is a bit of a walk to the Cathedral itself. Here are some of my favorite bits in the cathedral: - It's free! Super nice because a lot of famous cathedrals like this one are not. - The inside is extremely impressive. They are famous for this part of the roof that is shaped like an octagon and I would say that this is one of my most favorite parts of the cathedral. - Got to hear the choir sing for a bit which is just absolutely magnificent the way their voices echo throughout the cathedral. It really made my experience here. Overall, absolutely fantastic place to visit and the location is pretty nice as well since it is located on the main road where there are a bunch of cute little stores to look around afterwards. The town really reminds me of the English countryside towns. Would highly recommend visiting if in Cambridge/Ely area. read more

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Stunning cathedral, terrific tours, and lovely setting in Ely. I had forgotten how impressive the interior space was - and how moving it was to experience it. The music programs and the volunteers: all amazing. And don't forget to walk around the grounds. So impressive to feel the history here. [Adding to this review later...] read more

Awesome cathedral. Located in Ely only 15 minutes away by rail from Cambridge. One can travel here early, visit the cathedral, and then spend the rest of the day in Cambridge. If you have more time, spending the rest of the day in Ely would be a great way to spend a day in the country side. The cathedral is magnificent. I would definitely recommend a tour to include the Octagon. It is an amazing part of the building. The engineering aspects of it are incredible. From the top you can look down inside the cathedral and just see how grand it is. On the roof, you have an excellent view of the surrounding area. It is definitely worth the trip out here. read more

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Beautiful place to visit. A must for anyone in the area. It's a great place to visit for inner peace. There's a gift shop located inside the cathedral so that you can take something back home that will remind you of this place. General admission was 9 pounds unless you plan on visit climbing up yhto tower at an additional cost. Worth the trip. read more

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If you are anywhere near Ely, you MUST make this cathedral a destination to visit! Absolutely beautiful. My recommendation would be to go in on a Sunday when there is no entry price and you can do a self guided tour. If not, I'd recommend the tower tour and get the whole experience - that is, if you can make the climb up all the stairs. The view from the top of the cathedral is gorgeous when the weather is good. read more

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I took a day trip to Ely for the express purpose of seeing Ely Cathedral, and I am so glad I did. The cathedral is stunning! It's literally gigantic--576 feet long, with an uninterrupted nave of 248 feet. St. Etheldreda founded a monastery here in 673. The monastery was destroyed by the Danes, and bulding of the present building began in 1081 (yes, that's very old building!). In 1322 the central tower fell, and "Alan of Walsingham" took the opportunity to replace the central tower with an octagonal tower. Quite a feat of engineering in any time period, let alone in the 1300s! The interior is lovely---be sure to focus on the painted ceiling in the nave, the stained glass, and all of the decorative elements. There is also a lovely Lady Chapel, which is the largest in Britain. A guided tour is included in the price of admission. Take the tour, and then go back and wander around the areas that particuarly interest you. I'm going to add a couple of pictures---not the best in the world, but perhaps they'll get you interested. All in all, a fantastic place to visit. read more

Ely Cathedral - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Ely, CAM

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I was actually in Ely for personal reasons so it was a total bonus to be able to step in and see this jewel of a cathedral. I don't think I can add much more background to the story than mija61 did in his/her March 2010 Qype review. Well worth a visit from London SOLELY for the Cathedral. It happens to be a charming old town as well. read more

Amazing. Seriously, no other words to describe Ely and their cathedral. Elegant, beautiful, charming, wondrous. Whatever. Pick a word along those lines and it still isn't enough. Not a week has gone by in my life the last decade without thinking of my trip to Ely and my afternoon exploring the Cathedral. read more

Lets face it, the landscape around this part of the country isn't ever going to be described as stunning (unless you really hate hills, or even small bumps). But, should you ever find yourself passing even remotely close, I would strongly suggest a detour to Ely, and an afternoon spent exploring the great cathedral there. To describe it as a hidden gem would be an understatement. Courtesy of the flat plains around, the cathedral rises out and can be seen from miles around. I guess they had a lot of time on their hands in the middle ages in the Fens - and it shows. The place is massive, and for a town the size of Ely, even more impressive. It is one of the best preserved monasteries in the UK, having survived Henrys great asset grab more or less intact. Inside it's vast, with some impressive stone work, and even ancient graffiti! The Lady chapel is spooky in it's demolished catholic wall carvings (head-less, and not-quite removed), and even the almost long gone cloister is quite impressive (if you like abbeys, that is!). It was Oliver Cromwells home town too, and you can visit his house (pretty much robbed of any real connection to him now). The rest of the town is the usual mixture of cutesy houses, and horrible chavy places. I'd recommend it to any of my overseas friends who might be doing a tour of the UK, and be in Cambridge as part of it. It's only 30min drive away from Cambridge, and would make a brilliant afternoon trip. It's well worth a look, even if you happen to live in Cambridge, or be up there visiting friends. read more

Ely Cathedral - Front Entrance to Ely Cathedral - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Ely, CAM

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Ely Cathedral is a fantastic landmark located in the Fens. Situated within the heart of the city centre, visiting the Cathedral would make a fantastic day out. Entry costs start from £5.50 (which include a guided tour), although you can also go into the parts of the Cathedral without having to pay. As well as being a quiet place for spiritual retreat, Ely Cathedral has also been home to many events such as Rave in the Nave where hundreds of young people travel to see their favourite bands as well as take part in all the activities that are laid out for them - ranging from Internet Cafe, bouncy castle, BBQ and much more. read more

Ely cathedral can be seen on the drive up the A11. And as you draw nearer, its just looms more beautiful and grand on the horizon. Its one of the most beautiful buildings I have ever seen. There is such a large amount of detailed work gone into the construction that a review like this just wouldnt do it justice. I would recommend taking a seat and staring at the painted ceiling for a while. There is often a display going on inside. Recently they have held a fair trade show and a series of choral concerts Even the cloisters and associated buildings nearby are not to be missed. Take a stroll to the river and look back up, the outside is just as magnificent read more

Always got something going on, and very peaceful! read more

Ely Cathedral - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Ely, CAM

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Really impressive, spectacular cathedral and worth the drive to Ely. We were actually here to get a train to Manchester, and were glad to have left a bit early. read more

Visited the Ely Cathedral on our last day in England. Beautiful Cathedral with great history. The cathedral has a nice bookstore with information on the church as well as a cafe. We luckily had the opportunity to hear a brass band play and the acoustics were amazing. Later after touring we sat and listened to the choir rehearsal. Absolutely beautiful! read more