Angels

Ely Cathedral’s Angels

When you look towards the heavens inside Ely Cathedral, it's not hard to imagine the myriad of beautiful angels coming to life once the last person leaves to herald in Christmas day. But what are the origins of these spectacular beings? 

The angels that encircle the centre of the Lantern embody the jubilant spirit of Psalm 150, whose great cry is “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.” Each figure holds instruments as named in the psalm, transforming the lantern into a visual chorus of praise:

Praise the Lord. Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens.
Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness.
Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet; praise him with the harp and lyre.
Praise him with tambourine and dancing; praise him with the strings and flute.
Praise him with the clash of cymbals; praise him with resounding cymbals.

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord.

These radiant angels were painted by Thomas Gambier Parry in 1874–75. Set on panels rising nearly twenty feet, they were designed with deliberate distortions—elongated legs and compact bodies—so that, when viewed from below, their proportions appear perfectly natural. It is a masterclass in Victorian illusionism, ensuring that the heavenly musicians look as though they hover effortlessly in the lantern’s soaring space.

High above the North and South Transepts, a host of 15th‑century wooden angels watches over the Cathedral. Carved from oak and fixed to the ends of the hammerbeams, these figures belong to a remarkable East Anglian tradition in which angels were integrated directly into church roofs — transforming structural timbers into expressions of devotion.

These Ely angels are shown as full‑bodied, flying figures, their wings outstretched as they emerge from the beams. These figures escaped the destruction of the Reformation and have since been repaired in the Victorian era and repainted in the 1950’s. Their presence reflects a powerful medieval idea: that the church building was a vision of heaven on earth, with angels literally “in the rafters”. 

Hammerbeam roofs were an innovation of the period, allowing wider spans without heavy tie‑beams. In East Anglia, carpenters embellished these new structures with angels, creating some of the most distinctive roof carvings in Europe. Ely’s transept angels form part of this wider regional story — and complement the Cathedral’s celebrated Octagon, where painted angels surround Christ at the centre of the lantern.

Today, these carved figures remain a moving reminder of the faith, craftsmanship, and imagination that shaped Ely Cathedral.

Friends Christmas Cards (2026) 

Ely Cathedral Angels, 2 designs by Jane Abbott
Created for and donated to The Friends of Ely Cathedral. 
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