Lantern in the sky

Ely cathedral on Easter Sunday.

You could travel a long way before you saw anything as spectacular as Ely's 'Ship of the Fen' as the Norman cathedral of St Ethelburga's is called.

Wood was in great demand in the middle ages and long timbers, in particular, could be difficult to find. In 1329 the builders of Ely cathedral searched for ages to find the 50 foot beams needed for the construction of the cathedrals great and unique wooden octagon ' lantern' tower.

It remains spectacular 700 years later