Ely Cathedral

In 1322, due to settlements, the central Norman tower at Ely fell as a result of the collapse of the western bays of the choir. Immediate repairs began and a new eight sided tower was raised on foundations driven down to solid rock. On top of the stone octagon, which rises 94 feet above the floor, a timber superstructure containing eight four-light windows, surmounted by a bell chamber, lifts the whole structure to a height of 180 feet. The engineering and workmanship in handling such a high structure were very skillful. The eight vertical oak posts of the lantern are no less then 63 feet long and the whole construction forms a gigantic space frame, hidden within the timber vaulting which encloses it. The painting on the panels of the triforium below the lantern window are Victorian.