Easing alongside in Ely.

We set off about 0930, but just round the corner towards the lock down to the Relief Channel where the service area was. I had to walk back to the sluice as there were no rubbish bins, and when I got there I wasn't sure whether it was the right one, and definitely no recycling. On EA water I think we have only come across two places to place rubbish.

The River Great Ouse is wide and deep and all told it is the 4th longest river in the UK. This is really just an overflow for excess water it seems to me. The flood banks are a little too high to get much of a view and the passage along it is judged by points. This is the arrival of the River Wissey to the river.

The next point is the railway bridge. I was interested to note that the track is electrified and this track goes to Kings Lynn. I find it extremely weird that the line across the Pennines from Hull to Liverpool, through Leeds and Manchester is not electrified. When will we ever get a Northern Power House?

Another bridge is the Modney or Hilgay Bridge with some EA moorings beyond. The two boats there left Denver with us.

There were some places along the way that really reminded me of a trip down the River Trent.

There were several herds of cows and sheep on the bank. This picture reminded me of the Serengeti with the birds perched on the backs of the animals like on the zebra and wildebeest found there. 

Where the Littel Ouse River joins is the Ship Inn with moorings aplenty.

On the approach to Ely Is the 'suburb' of Queen Adelaide with the road bridge and the rail bridge, electrified, to Norwich!

We were then given our first view of Ely Cathedral. Neither Helen or I have been to the city before so even at this distance the Cathedral looks extremely impressive. There were plenty of cruisers moored up but we spotted a gap, but we had to wind to makes sure that the stern was on the wall so that we could more easily get on and off.

We had a bite to eat and then went up the road. We went to the Tourist Information Centre that is in Oliver Cromwell's House. It was built in the 13th Century and Cromwell and his family lived here for ten years from 1636. Whilst living here he became MP for Cambridge and played his part in the draining of the Fens.

This is the Ely Porta (Latin for gate) and was the entrance to the confines of the monastery that was here before the Cathedral. It was started in 1396 and completed 21 years later. After the Dissolution of Henry VIII it was used as a prison. It is now used by the Kings School, Ely. It is a private school that seems to have most of the ecclesiastical building of the Cathedral. I like the large gate for road traffic and the smaller one for foot passengers.

We had decided to go Choral Evensong at the Cathedral. A plus is that entry is free after 1700, and evensong was 1730! The interior is not quite as ornate as the exterior, but it is extremely imposing. It is nice and bright like at Peterborough, and as there it has superb roof art.

Whilst a little more ornate perhaps these paintings are  not as old as those in Peterbrough. The picture was taken using a mirror.

At the heart of the cathedral is the Octagon. The present day church was commenced in 1081 but the tower built then collapsed in 1322, and the Octagon was built to replace it. It took thirty years to complete using eight huge oak beams. The higher west tower is 215 high and like at Fotheringhay it acted as a 'lighthouse' across the Fens. The choir consisted of half a dozen adults, but they were very good indeed. The acoustics in the choir were great and it sounded like there were many more. 

Close to our moorings are the Maltings that were built in 1868 by Ebenezer Harlock, and he lived in a house just to the right of the camera, right by the river. If you look closely the mast type display in the centre of the picture is a sculpture of eight eel glaives or gleaves that are used like a spear to catch eels. 

We walked back up the road to have an early evening pint before tea at a micro pub. The drinks are gravity fed and brought  to your table. Quite expensive though.