“Each side externally, is covered with lancet arcading in four tiers. In the upper tier the lancets are trefoiled with dog-tooth in the moulding; in the next lower tier the lancets are cinquefoiled, with two sets of dog-tooth. The lancets in the west face are all cinquefoiled, and the three lower tiers have trefoils in the spandrels. Nearly all are highly enriched with dog-tooth; while the mouldings of the west door have conventional foliage as well. The lancets here are deeper than on the sides of the porch, and were probably designed to hold figures. Of the three large lancets in the west window the central one is slightly more lofty than the others.
“The interior of the porch is even more beautiful; the profusion of ornamentation on the inner doorway and the exceeding gracefulness of the double arcades in the sides are quite unsurpassed. Both doorways are divided by a shaft and both have open tracery of exceptional beauty above.”—(W. D. S.)
In addition to this feature, Ely has the unique Octagon, a good view of which is obtained from the north-west. It is beautifully proportioned and beautifully decorated with windows of exquisite tracery.
“The way in which the octagon and lantern combine in producing a perfectly harmonious composition is in great part due to two points of difference, points which very few observers detect. These are, firstly, that the lantern is a regular octagon, having all its sides equal, in this respect being unlike the stone octagon beneath it; and, secondly, that the eight faces of the lantern are not parallel to the eight faces of the octagon. The new windows of the lantern are similar to the large ones below, but are not mere copies of them. The upper stage of the lantern, above the roof as seen from within, was once a bell-chamber; its lights are not, and never have been, glazed. The whole of the lantern is of wood, covered with lead. Two flying-buttresses rise from the corners of the nave and transept aisles to the corbel table of the clerestory range. There are also eight elegant flying-buttresses, one to each of the angles of the lantern. These are part of the new work, the originals having long disappeared.”—(W. D. S.)
The north-western part of the north transept fell in 1699, and was rebuilt by Sir Christopher Wren, nephew of Bishop Wren, then in office. The north end of the transept contains Norman windows, and above them are two Perpendicular windows, each of three lights. In the east wall of the transept the lower lights are Decorated; the upper windows are the original Norman.
Next we come to the Lady-Chapel, the east window of which (seven lights) was inserted by Bishop Barnet (1366-1373), who also “beautified five of the windows in the presbytery.” The west window (eight lights) is of a little later date. In the side walls of the Lady-Chapel are five large windows, the tracery of which is very beautiful.
The East End is a superb illustration of Early English, although slightly altered from its original state by the introduction of the windows in the chapels of Alcock and West, and a plain wall for the original windows in the south aisle.
Flying-buttresses support the roof of the presbytery and choir. The Perpendicular window of seven lights attracts our notice in the south end of the south transept.
The entrance to the Cathedral from the south opens from the eastern end of the cloisters and is called the Monks’ Door.
The ornamentation is very rich. One spiral column is especially fine. The arch is trefoiled with cusps, having circular terminations with star ornament, and in the spandrels are quaint, crouching monks, each holding a pastoral staff. Two twisted dragons writhe above.