Advent Calendar 5th

Christmas was less than a fortnight away and alread its light shone upon the days. through all the city there was a quiet hum of preparation. . . the cathedral towered over it all, benignly great in this quiet weather, the sound of the bells faling gently from the height of the Rollo tower. 

Extract from The Dean’s Watch by Elizabeth Goudge, Chapter 15, The Celestial Clock.  The book is set in an un-named Cathedral city, but is very closely based on Ely in the fens. It is the story of the friendship between Adam Ayscough the formidable Dean and Isaac Peabody the watch and clockmaker. 

The Rollo Tower in real Ely is the unique Octagon or Lantern Tower (which doesn’t house bells) but does provide a remarkable landmark for miles across the flat fens. 

I took this photograph in December 2013.