Ely Cathedral

The Octagon is Ely Cathedral's famous 14th-century lantern tower, built after the original central tower collapsed. It is one of the cathedral's defining architectural features.

Work on the present Ely Cathedral began in 1083, after the Norman Conquest. The building later gained major Gothic additions, including the 14th-century Octagon.

Ely Cathedral rises dramatically above the flat fenland landscape of Cambridgeshire. That skyline effect helped give it the nickname Ship of the Fens.

Ely Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral today and serves the Diocese of Ely. Its origins are medieval Catholic, but it became part of the Church of England after the English Reformation.